Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2009, $173,290)
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 II, the County of Goodhue will hire a full time sworn law enforcement officer and purchase an unmarked squad car. The county is currently experiencing a substantial increase in narcotic-related crime with investigations nearly doubling within a five year period, due in part to the county's geographic location between two major metropolitan areas. The grant funded police officer will serve as a narcotics investigator, and conduct narcotics investigations occurring within the county and in the region covered by the Southeast Minnesota Narcotics and Gang Task Force in an effort to combat the increasing crime.
CA/CF