Nebraska Facilitating Rural Justice Information Sharing 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 4, the Nebraska State Patrol will use its award to enhance the Nebraska Justice Information Sharing Program. Funds will create jobs and continue the enhancements of public and private sector information-sharing partnerships, as well as enhance criminal justice information sharing for rural law enforcement agencies. State and local agencies combined to establish the Nebraska Fusion Center in order to bridge the gap in information-sharing and analysis between criminal justice agencies. The Fusion Center operates on an all-hazard, all-crimes basis in conjunction with the Nebraska State Patrol, Omaha Police Department, and the Lincoln Police Department. The Nebraska Fusion Center will provide the basis upon which information sharing strategies are built, allowing public and private sectors access to electronic criminal justice information. These significant enhancements to the statewide Nebraska Law Enforcement Intelligence System (NeLEIS) and the Automated Critical Asset Management System (ACAMS) will lead to the identification and arrest of criminal and drug-related offenders.

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