FY 2009 Recovery Act Rural Law Enforcement Grant 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 IV, the State of New Mexico Administrative Office of the District Attorney will facilitate rural justice information sharing through the sharing of booking data from all 32 county jail facilities and five tribal detention centers, which cover 24 tribal nations in the state. State criminal justice and law enforcement agencies will have access to this information, which will assist with increased identification, detection, enforcement, and prosecution of criminal activity. In addition, personnel will be hired to implement the program and further oversee the initiative.

CA/CF