A. There is hereby established the Justice Reinvestment Grant Program. Contingent upon the provision of appropriate funds designated for Justice Reinvestment grants, the Office of the Attorney General is authorized to award one or more such competitive grants to local law enforcement agencies for the purpose of providing funding for new initiatives and strategies to combat violent crime as proposed by local law enforcement agencies. Funds shall be used for local initiatives, technical assistance, law enforcement training, law enforcement equipment, crime victim services, contractual support and information systems for criminal justice purposes.
B. To be eligible for a Justice Reinvestment Grant, local law enforcement agencies shall submit proposals to the Office of the Attorney General that focus on increasing the capacity of the law enforcement agency to address violent crime within their jurisdiction through one of the following priority strategies:
1. Focusing on intervention and enforcement through the use of increased staffing resources with overtime funds to target violent crime with evidence-driven approaches. Policing initiatives may include directed patrols, “hot spot” policing, intelligence-led policing, or youth and gang violence interventions;
2. Increasing technological capacity to support intervention and enforcement with the purchase of technology for crime prevention and criminal justice problem solving. Technology shall include, but not be limited to, crime-mapping software, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) technology and smart phone tools;
3. Enhancing analytical capacity through the development or expansion of analytical capabilities that focus on crime mapping, analysis of crime trends and developing data-driven strategies that focus on violent crime reduction through the employment of civilian crime analysts;
4. Engaging with community partners in order to develop partnerships and projects that focus on preventing violent crime in the community. Community partners may include, but are not limited to, public and private service providers, the courts, and probation and parole services. Projects shall include, but are not limited to, programs that focus on drug enforcement efforts, youth violent crime, gang violence, and offender recidivism; and
5. Increasing direct services to crime victims through local law enforcement efforts which shall include, but not be limited to, addressing gaps in crime victims services by enhancing accessibility to services, increasing awareness of victimization and partnering with local community providers to improve supports and services to victims of crime.
C. Preference shall be given to grant applicants that can demonstrate a commitment to regional, multijurisdictional strategies to address community safety issues and can clearly outline a comprehensive plan for municipalities to work with law enforcement, community-based organizations and government agencies to address violent criminal activity.
D. Grants awarded pursuant to the Justice Reinvestment Grant Program shall be considered one-time grants awarded to local law enforcement agencies. The Office of the Attorney General shall consult with local law enforcement agencies when determining grant eligibility requirements and criteria. The Office of the Attorney General shall publish guidelines and an application for the competitive portion of the grant program no later than January 1, 2013.
E. The Office of the Attorney General is hereby authorized to adopt rules and procedures as necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.
Added by Laws 2012, c. 228, § 11, eff. Nov. 1, 2012.