Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2009, $468,516)
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 Nooksack Indian Tribe (NIT) will use its award to combat drug-related crime and violence. NIT is located in rural Whatcom County and has a small staff of officers employed in the NIT Law Enforcement Agency. NIT also falls within a High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and has seen an increase in drug-related crime and violence. Because of the small number of law enforcement officers, NIT cannot effectively combat this drug-related crime and violence. The NIT Law Enforcement Agency will use grant funding to create a position devoted for half of the time to patrol officer duties and the other half of the time to investigating crimes, and collaborating and coordinating information sharing with other agencies. Funds will also be used to hire clerical support and data control personnel to assist the officer combating crimes and violence involving drugs and alcohol.
CA/CF