ICSO Interstate Criminal Enforcement (ICE)

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, Iredell County, along with the Iredell County Sheriff's Office (ICSO), will use its grant to reduce the flow and distribution of illegal drugs and narcotics in the county and on major highways and interstate highways. ICSO will use the funds to hire four additional patrol deputies and purchase vehicles and standard equipment issued to each deputy in the department. The new personnel will help to increase safety on the highways by enforcing the state traffic laws and maintaining a visual presence on the highways, establish and maintain relationships with other federal and state agencies and assist in all narcotic investigations, seize all illegal narcotics that are identified and arrest violators, seize all currency and monies associated with illegal narcotic trafficking, present prosecutable cases to the appropriate local or federal prosecution entity for adjudication, and assist other local agencies in special operations or by providing training.

CA/CF