Powhatan County Improvements to Narcotics Investigations

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) solicits applications for initiatives which assist law enforcement in rural states and rural areas. The program helps rural states and rural areas to prevent and combat crime, especially drug-related crime, and provides for national support efforts, including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address rural needs.

The Assistance to Rural Law Enforcement to Combat Crime and Drugs Program, administered by BJA, helps rural states and rural areas prevent and combat crime, especially drug-related crime, and provides for national support efforts, including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address rural needs. In addition, priority consideration will be given to local law enforcement agencies in rural areas where the unit of local government is not eligible to receive a direct allocation from the Recovery Act Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program or received a direct allocation that was $50,000 or less. Applicants were invited to submit a proposal under any one of the following categories to: (1) combat rural crime; (2) improve rural law enforcement investigations; (3) enhance rural detention and jail operations; (4) facilitate rural justice information sharing; or (5) develop a national training and technical assistance program.

Under Category 2, Powhatan County will use the grant funds to obtain additional Powhatan County Sheriff's Office personnel and equipment to combat narcotics criminal activity. Specifically, they will: hire an officer to allow investigations to be more effective in investigating cases involving narcotics manufacturing and distribution; utilize the position to work with existing school resource officers to be able to provide current drug awareness information to students through programs such as D.A.R.E. or G.R.E.A.T.; appropriately outfit the narcotics officer with necessary transportation and equipment commonly utilized by law enforcement officers of this type; and utilize equipment requested for enhancements in investigating crime and drug-related offenses in Powhatan County.

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