Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2009, $993,037)
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 4, the Judiciary of Guam will use its award to hire six data entry clerk positions and an administrative assistant for Guam's National Criminal Information Center Unit, which is understaffed and lapsed in its reporting requirements. The additional personnel will ensure the daily processing and submission of criminal history records to the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, the National Instant Background Check System, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Judiciary of Guam will also use the award to initiate their participation in the National Law Enforcement Teletype System (NLETS). NLETS will allow Guam to communicate directly with states on dispositions. In order to participate in NLETS, Guam will upgrade their current criminal justice information system by implementing the NLETS interface to their platform and paying for the NLETS monthly membership fee.
The National Criminal Information Center also requires additional software and equipment to improve the Judiciary of Guam's ability to process fingerprints for submission to the national databases. Timely processing is a requirement for compliance with the National Instant Background Check System. Once the applicable softwares are implemented, the grantee will also use this award to pay for software and equipment maintenance.
CA/CF