City of Marianna Drug Interdiction 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 1, the City of Marianna will use its award to educate and enable youth to reject illegal drugs as well as alcohol and tobacco, increase the safety of city and county citizens by substantially reducing drug-related crime and violence, and develop community coalition specifically within the faith-based community. The city will use the funds to hire and retain three law enforcement officers and their canine counterpart, and to purchase surveillance cameras, radar, a body microphone, an unmarked police vehicle, bullet-proof vests, a laptop computer, a printer, and additional supplies. The city will be able to provide students in grades K'12 with gang resistance, alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention programs and policies; establish a drug/gang unit within the Marianna Police Department; develop a training program specifically targeted to pastors; and train all police officers with the most current law enforcement strategies and responses to drug crimes.

CA/CF