Fact Sheet: Investing in Public Safety

Fact Sheet: Investing in Public Safety


these actions, West Haven, Connecticut saw a steady decline in the quality of life in their neighborhoods. Today, because of the Recovery Act funding, West Haven, Connecticut will be able to re-establish these programs to protect their citizens. West Haven will now be able to establish gang and gun task forces to focus on these and other serious crimes that their neighborhoods are facing. They also will be able to assign additional resource officers to their public schools and provide additional crime prevention and quality of life officers to work with the community.

Story County, Iowa would use Byrne JAG funds to bring their two Drug Task Force Deputies salaries back up to where they were originally, as well as to bring back the drug prosecutor. They also would utilize funds for buy money and equipment for which they have been seriously lacking since funding had been so greatly reduced.

San Francisco Police Department would use the Byrne JAG funds for violence reduction saturation patrols in the highest crime areas, partnering with the District Attorney, adult and juvenile probation, state parole, and community courts. The focus would be on the drugs, guns, and gangs that fuel the violence in the city. Funds also would be used for targeted law enforcement efforts to include foot patrols in specific areas of the city and expanding officers in low-income housing developments. The San Francisco PD will also be able to put more of a concentrated effort on juvenile justice prevention and intervention — specifically focused on after school activities.

Chief Rick Myers of Colorado Springs would fund civilian positions that have been cut. These non sworn positions provide a wide degree of flexibility to the agency at a reduced cost to taxpayers. He also is looking at using funds to purchase technology to provide service at a lower cost.

In suburban West Jordan, Utah, one of the fastest growing cities in Utah, the Police Department will use Byrne JAG Funds to install 39 in-car digital camera systems in police cruisers, as well as purchase 70 mobile communication systems. These advances in technology will not only fund as many as 15 local jobs, but will also assist local patrol officers’ work by providing them quick and reliable access to information from any location city-wide, enabling faster response times to criminal activity.

Fresno County Sheriff’s Office would use Byrne JAG funding to purchase equipment and supplies for their SWAT and Training Units, as well as for the Law Enforcement Augmentation Equipment Program for explosives, supplies, and tools for their Explosives Ordnance Disposal Unit. Fresno County also would use funds to purchase equipment to improve the use of their Explosive Ordnance Disposal and SWAT robot, which is used in tactical situations that require the use of the robot in diverse environmental conditions. They also would fund salaries for narcotics officers, as well as purchase and equip special operation vehicles.

Butler County, Pennsylvania Sheriff’s Office would use Byrne JAG funds for construction of a secure entrance for prison transports into the courthouse,


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