Governor Rell: Competitive Stimulus Grants

To Bolster Local Law Enforcement

$225 Million in Federal Grants Available Nationwide

for Hiring, Technology and Training

Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that $225 million in federal stimulus funds for local law enforcement are now available to municipalities and other entities to expand staff and enhance technology.

The Governor said the competitive grants, made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, are intended to help communities support law enforcement programs that best suit their local needs.

“The national recession has put a number of important law enforcement initiatives on the backburner, including critical staffing needs and high tech crime-fighting tools,” Governor Rell said. “Communities now have an opportunity to move forward with their efforts without further burdening their budgets. I strongly encourage any and all eligible parties to apply for these grants.

The funds are offered by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of the Edward Byrne Memorial Competitive Grant program. Eligible applicants include state and local governments, colleges and universities, non-profit organizations, tribal governments and others.

The grants can be used for the following:

·        Hiring of neighborhood-based probation and parole officers

·        Hiring of civilian support personnel

·        Preventing and reducing violent crime through community-based approaches

·        Enhancing forensics and crime scene investigations

·        Victims’ services

·        Training and technical assistance

 Deadline for application is April 27, 2009. Governor Rell said the state’s Office of Policy and Management (www.ct.gov/opm) will offer technical assistance to help local agencies navigate the federal grant application process.

For information on these law enforcement grants, other funding opportunities and the ARRA in Connecticut: visit the state’s official stimulus Web site at: www.ct.gov and click on the CT Recovery link.

-30-