The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R.1) includes $4 billion in Department of Justice grant funding to enhance state, local, and tribal law enforcement efforts, including the hiring of new police officers, to combat violence against women, and to fight internet crimes against children.

“This funding is vital to keeping our communities strong,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “As governors, mayors, and local law enforcement professionals struggle with the current economic crisis, we can’t afford to decrease our commitment to fighting crime and keeping our communities safe. These grants will help ensure states and localities can make the concerted efforts necessary to protect our most vulnerable communities and populations.”

Where Recovery Act Funds Are Going

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will provide $2.7 billion to the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), which provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administering justice, and assisting victims. Specifically, the Act provides $2 billion for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime and improve the criminal justice system, from law enforcement and prosecution, to courts and corrections, to drug treatment, to victim assistance. Another $225 million in Edward Byrne Competitive Grant Program funding is available to help communities address targeted needs. OJP also will administer an additional $225 million for assistance to tribal law enforcement, $125 million for rural law enforcement to prevent and combat drug-related crime, $30 million for law enforcement along the Southern Border and in High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas, $50 million for Internet Crimes Against Children initiatives, and $100 million for victim compensation and assistance. OJP is committed to working with our national, state, local and tribal partnerships to ensure this funding invests in the American workforce.

The Act will provide $1 billion under the COPS Hiring Recovery Program (CHRP) in grant funding for the hiring and rehiring of additional career law enforcement officers. CHRP grants will provide 100 percent funding for approved entry-level salaries and benefits for 3 years (36 months) for newly-hired, full-time sworn officer positions (including filling existing unfunded vacancies) or for rehired officers who have been laid off, or are scheduled to be laid off on a future date, as a result of local budget cuts. In addition, there is no cap on the number of positions an agency may request, but awards will be limited to available funding.

$225 million will be used by the Office on Violence Against Women to develop and support the capacity of state, local, tribal, and non-profit entities involved in responding to violence against women. The Act directs $175 million to support the work of states, tribal governments, state domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions, and tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions. The majority of these funds will be awarded to states, allocated based on population, under the Services*Training*Officers*Prosecutors (STOP) Formula Grant Program to promote a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to enhance services and advocacy to victims, improve the criminal justice system's response, and promote effective law enforcement and prosecution strategies to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The remaining funds will be awarded to state coalitions, tribal governments, and tribal coalitions based on statutory set-asides from STOP funds. The Transitional Housing Assistance Grant Program will administer $50 million in grants focusing on a holistic, victim-centered approach to transitional housing services and related support services that move individuals into permanent housing.

$10 million will go toward the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Project Gunrunner for the Southwest Border Initiative. The Administration’s Southwest Border Initiative will reduce cross border drug and weapons trafficking, and the associated high level of violence occurring on the border between the U.S. and Mexico. The primary role of ATF’s Project Gunrunner in support of this initiative is to stem the illegal trafficking of firearms across the border and to reduce the firearms violence occurring on both sides of the border.