Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2009, $171,510)
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 town of Oakboro will use its award to support the Oakboro Police Department's Safe Street Initiative, which consists of employing a full-time investigator and equipping them with the equipment necessary to perform all types of criminal investigations, with a strong focus on narcotic distribution. The investigator will work in conjunction with neighboring agencies to share intelligence and to determine crime patterns that run through jurisdiction to jurisdiction. The investigator will also join the county's multi-agency drug unit to reduce the number of persons selling drugs throughout the area. Finally, the investigator will also work with the Regional Mutual Assistance Task Group that consists of over 30 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to combat crime on a regional basis.
CA/CF