Recovery Act Rural Law Enforcement Grant Program

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 1, the Alabama Fourth Judicial Circuit of the District Attorney's Office will use the award to support the Fourth Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force. One of the main goals of the task force is to identify and disrupt the drug trade within the Fourth Judicial Circuit. The funds will allow for continued operation of the efforts to decrease drug-related crimes and activity. The agents of the task force will openly communicate with officers of all enforcement agencies within the Circuit to maintain a check on the 'pulse' of the narcotics trade throughout the Circuit. In addition to direct work-related contacts, the agents and the prosecuting attorney will check in with each agency at least monthly, either by telephone, Southern Linc, or in person. The task force will continue to foster a sense of cooperation and communication among the numerous law enforcement agencies within the circuit through training, equipment sharing, intelligence sharing, and operation assistance.

CA/CF