The Charles County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Charles County Circuit Court, announces it will apply for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Formula Program through the United States Department of Justice. The JAG Program provides states and units of local governments with critical funding necessary to support a range of program areas including law enforcement; prosecution and court programs; prevention and education programs; corrections and community corrections; drug treatment and enforcement; crime victim and witness initiatives; and planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs.
Charles County is eligible for $38,516 through this grant, which combines the Byrne Formula and Local Law Enforcement Block grant programs to provide agencies with the flexibility to prioritize and place justice funds where they are needed most. The program allows states, tribes, and local governments to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own local needs and conditions.
The Sheriff’s Office seeks to use these grant funds primarily in two areas: to develop and implement an enhanced training program that will provide officers with information on community interactions, emotional intelligence, de-escalation and alternative enforcement methods on an ongoing and consistent basis; and for coordinating training for National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) compliance. NIBRS is a uniform way for law enforcement to report crimes consistent with the standards established by the F.B.I. By January 1, 2021, the F.B.I. intends for NIBRS to be the law enforcement crime data-reporting standard for the nation. The funds from this grant would be used for implementing NIBRS training for all personnel responsible for collecting and submitting this data.
The Charles County Circuit Court Drug Court Program (Family Recovery Court) seeks to use funds to pay a portion of the Drug Court Coordinator’s salary for program development and operational efficiency.
The Sheriff’s Office invites citizens wishing to make comments or review the Sheriff’s and Circuit Court’s JAG application to contact Karlee Adams, Grant Coordinator, at 301-609-3279. All comments should be made by September 20, 2020.
