Burden Police Department Tracker 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 city of Burden, along with the Burden Police Department, will use its award to create a Journeyman Tracker Team. Journeyman trackers possess the credentials to gather admissible courtroom evidence and, if necessary, provide expert testimony. The goal of the tracker program is to improve rural law enforcement investigations by creating a thirteen-member volunteer Journeyman Tracker Team that is able to fully process a scene, gather courtroom admissible evidence, and file a report. Currently, the team is limited by having only one certified Journeymen Tracker who is capable of providing expert courtroom testimony. Expanding the team to consist of thirteen certified Journeyman Trackers increases tracking capacity available to respond when called upon by rural law enforcement agencies. Funds will pay expenditures for personnel, travel/training, consultant trainers, and other expenses.

CA/NCF