Community Service Officer Program and Campus Security Enhancements

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG) allows states and units of local government, including tribes, to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own state and local needs and conditions. Grant funds can be used for state and local initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and information systems for criminal justice, including for any one or more of the following purpose areas: 1) law enforcement programs; 2) prosecution and court programs; 3) prevention and education programs; 4) corrections and community corrections programs; 5) drug treatment and enforcement programs; 6) planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs; and 7) crime victim and witness programs (other than compensation).

The City of Salem will use funding to provide eight (8) Community Service Officers (CSO's) for the primary goal of relieving sworn police officers of their duties where enforcement action and arrest powers are not required. CSOs handle calls for service such as non-injury accidents, traffic control, cold burglaries, stolen vehicles, animal complaints, noise complaints, found property, and other events of a lower priority. CSOs are trained to process crime scenes for the collection of physical evidence. The development of the Community Services Officer program has allowed the Department to reduce the wait times for response to non-emergency calls for service. NCA/NCF