Combating rural crime through saturaiton and reduction of crime.

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 Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, along with its Tribal Police Department, will use the grant funds to hire two additional investigators and one Crime Data Analyst. The two investigators will focus on gang activity, violent crime, and illicit drug sales on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation and 15 other reservation communities in an effort to reduce and combat these illegal activities. The Crime Data Analyst will track statistics to improve crime reporting and analysis for calls for service.

CA/CF