HARRISBURG -Acting U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler announced that the Department of Justice’s Office of Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has awarded over $236,000 of the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant to the City of Scranton, City of Wilkes-Barre, City of York, and Dauphin County.
These grants are used to support activities to prevent and control crime based on local needs and conditions. Grant funds can be used for 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 program 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) and 8) mental health programs and related law enforcement and corrections programs, including behavioral programs and crisis intervention teams. Funded programs or initiatives may include multijurisdictional drug and gang task forces, crime prevention and domestic violence programs, courts, corrections, treatment, justice information sharing initiatives, or other programs aimed at reducing crime and/or enhancing public/officer safety.
* BJA’s grant of $36,915 to the City of Wilkes-Barre will help assign additional officers in high crime/violent crime areas in order to reduce the criminal and violent activity in those areas of the city. Also, these funds will be used for community-based and non-community-based police officer trainings to deal with violent crimes areas of the city. The goal is to increase public safety for citizens while reducing violence and violent crimes.
“This JAG funding enables the Wilkes-Barre Police Department to continue with its plans to provide necessary services to the residents of the City of Wilkes-Barre with the flexibility to prioritize and place funds where they are needed the most," said City of Wilkes-Barre’s Mayor George C. Brown.
* BJA’s grant of $81,264 to the City of Scranton will help fund the Scranton Police Department’s forty officer part time Civil Disturbance Unit (CDU) with new equipment.
* BJA awarded grant funds in the amount of $62,015 to the City of York. $50,532 was allocated to the York City Police Department to help maintain its technology through the purchase of the annual subscription for Power DMS software. York City Police Department will also provide ten officers with bicycle certification training and purchase various equipment for the department. $11,485 was allocated to York Township to fund partial expenses for Crimewatch and the Cody NIBRS reporting system.
* BJA’s grant of $56,605 to Dauphin County will help fund the Harrisburg victim advocate and police technology project which will ensure crime victim advocates are placed in the Harrisburg City Police Department. Victim advocates will reach out to crime victims and assist throughout the victim’s time in the criminal justice system. The funds will also be used to fund expenses for Crimewatch and the Cody NIBRS reporting system.
“These grants will address the needs of local communities to fight crime, train police, and increase victim services," stated Acting U.S. Attorney Brandler. “These are all important goals and I am pleased the Department of Justice can contribute to these worthy causes."
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
