Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2009, $188,080)
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 I, Essex County will apply funding towards the salary and fringe benefits of a newly hired sheriff's deputy. Essex is the second largest county in the state. Its size, in addition to its location along the interstate that connects New York City to Albany and Montreal, makes the county a popular area for narcotics trafficking and sales. The newly hired deputy will be tasked with narcotics enforcement. Overtime costs for existing officers on the force, and equipment purchases that includes portable radios and repeaters, and an unmarked truck for undercover operations and marijuana eradication efforts will also be supported. Because of a small tax base, the county would not have moved forward with the proposed initiatives at this time if not for the assistance of the Recovery Act grant.
CA/CF