Sustainment of Employment Positions

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 3, the Laurens County Sheriff's Department (LCSD) will use its award to fill five vacant positions and to avert the layoff of three other sworn officers. The LCSD has the following vacant positions at this time: two Jail Officers, one Transport Officer, one Courthouse Security Deputy, and one Investigator. The LCSD will not have funds to fill two Process Servers (who serve approximately 6000 civil documents per year) positions, and a Child Abuse Investigator position. By filling the five vacant positions and retaining the Process Servers, LCSD Patrol and Traffic Deputies: (1) will not be required to fill in nearly as many empty Jail Housing Officer shifts; (2) will not need to transport prisoners as often; (3) will not need to fill in for security at the courthouse as often; (4) will not have to serve 6000 civil documents per year; (5) will expend more hours per day patrolling the county, cities, and communities for crimes; (6) will spend more time checking the security of homes and businesses; and, (7) will continue to respond to calls as quickly as possible. The LCSD currently shares the funding of two Child Abuse Investigators with the state of Georgia and the city of Dublin. By insuring that both positions are sustained, the County and cities in Laurens County will have two full-time Child Abuse Investigators and expect to increase work efficiency through this additional support. The investigators will work jointly with the Georgia Department of Human Resources to investigate crimes.

CA/CF