$5,528,132 Will Support Crime-Fighting Efforts in the Western District of Tennessee
MEMPHIS - The Department of Justice today announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $5,528,132 will support public safety activities in the Western District of Tennessee. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
"Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart," said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. "These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing."
The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "The Department of Justice is committed to providing meaningful resources to our state and local law enforcement agencies, and this announcement of crucial public safety grant funding will fulfill the President’s Executive Orders to reduce crime in America and Back the Blue. These grant resources from the
Office of Justice Programs will allow our state and local partners to focus on the priority areas of violent crime and drug trafficking, as well as untested sexual assault kits, sex offender registry and monitoring, and victim services."
The following awards were made to organizations in the Western District of Tennessee:
BJA Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program
Tipton County FY 19 Local JAG - $10,217
City of Jackson FY 19 JAG Project - $43,095
City of Dyersburg 2019 JAG - $14,308
City of Memphis / Shelby County FY19 JAG Grant - $818,935
BJA National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative - Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits
>City of Memphis, Tennessee - $1,899,781
OVC Law Enforcement-Based Victim Specialist Program
City of Memphis FY19 Law Enforcement-Based Victim Specialist Program (LE VSP) - $770,861
SMART Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program: Support for SORNA Implementation in Counties
Tipton County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee - $18,453
On November 7, 2019, the Department of Justice announced awards of approximately $95 million to support public safety efforts in the State of Tennessee. Funding was provided to various law enforcement agencies from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) target violent crime, support law enforcement efforts to combat the manufacture and distribution of illicit drugs, improve officer mental health and wellness, and enhance school safety. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/pr/justice-department-awards-95-million-improve-public-safety-state-tennessee
City of Memphis BJA FY 19 Strategies for Policing Innovation - $700,000
City Of Millington BJA FY 19 Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program - $50,000
Shelby County Government BJA FY 19 Innovative Reentry Initiatives: Building System
Capacity & Testing Strategies to Reduce Recidivism - $602,482
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis: OJJDP FY 19 Youth Gang Desistance/Diversion Grant Program - $500,000
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis: NIJ Strengthening the Medical Examiner - Coroner System Program - $100,000
Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
