What “reform” will look like in the coming months is unknown, but funding will be needed to address recommendations
Before COVID-19 and current nationwide calls for police reform, President Trump’s FY 2021 budget proposal totaled $31.7 billion for the Department of Justice to support federal law enforcement and criminal justice priorities of the state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies.
The Department of Justice’s proposed areas of investment included:
For more information, view the FY 2021 Budget and Performance Summary.
As noted above, $4.3 billion was being requested to assist state and local law enforcement and their criminal justice partners. Budget negotiations continue with the added dynamics of a rapidly changing prioritization of funding needs to protect communities throughout the United States.
The CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act provided $150 billion for a coronavirus relief fund to make payments to states and tribal governments and direct payments to some large units of local government within 30 days of the enacted date. This bill was signed into law on March 27, 2020.
Within the CARES Act, $850 million was slated for the Department of Justice who would utilize the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant’s formula to determine the allocation amount to state and local recipients. The funds would be restricted to items directly related to expenses associated with addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. Items covered would include personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer and or overtime incurred as departments changed business practices to police in a socially distant world.
Priorities changed in the aftermath of George Floyd's death, as protests erupted throughout the country leading to a unified call for police reform. What “reform” will look like in the coming months is unknown, but funding will be needed to address the recommendations set forth while local governments struggle to meet pre-existing budget shortfalls to pay for salary, benefits and general operating expenses.
President Trump’s Executive Order on Safe Policing for Safe Communities was issued on June 16, 2020.
Section 2(b) states that the Attorney General shall allocate Department of Justice discretionary grant funding only to those state and local law enforcement agencies that have sought or are in the process of seeking appropriate credentials from a reputable independent credentialing body certified by the Attorney General.
Section 3 discusses information sharing and states that the Attorney General shall create a database to coordinate the sharing of information between and among federal, state, local tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies concerning instances of excessive use of force related to law enforcement matters, accounting for applicable privacy and due process rights. Further in Section 3 is a statement to the effect that discretionary funds will only be made to departments that comply with the information-sharing standards outlined in this area.
Section 4 addresses mental health, homelessness and addiction. In consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, resources would be considered to identify and develop opportunities to train law enforcement officers concerning encounters with individuals suffering from impaired mental health, homelessness, and addiction, and to increase the capacity of social workers working directly with law enforcement agencies.
These are just of few of the items outlined in the full document linked here.
Several grant programs already exist to address reform issues. It will become a matter or what level of funding will be approved for these line items. Departments should become familiar with the following programs to prepare for future funding opportunities:
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program
The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to states and units of local government. Funds may be used to provide additional personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, training, technical assistance and information systems for criminal justice. Additional resources are available here.
Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program
The Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) supports cross-system collaboration to improve public safety responses and outcomes for individuals with mental illnesses (MI) or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse (CMISA) who come into contact with the justice system.
JMHCP offers grants to help entities prepare comprehensive plans to implement collaboration programs that target qualified offenders and promote public safety and public health. Specifically, per the authorizing statute, grants awarded under this program shall be used to create or expand:
Support for youth may be available under the Juvenile Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JJMHCP). This was a new program for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency (OJJD) in FY 2020. Departments were eligible to apply for up to $750,000 for this program. Additional funds were made available under the Department to Health to address gaps in funding disparities.
The State, Local, Tribal and Territorial Information Sharing Technical Assistance Program is offered in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security. The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) funds this training and technical assistance program to support the standardization and promulgation of information-sharing practices, and the identification and sharing of state, local, tribal and territorial promising practices and lessons learned.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) - Funding website provides grant resource information and includes current solicitation, applications and forms, and a list of funding programs.
On August 3, 2020, the Department of Justice released an urgent message regarding compliance with Title 5, United States Code Section 9101 – the federal law that requires the sharing of criminal history record information with federal government agencies for background investigation purposes. The following federal programs were recommended in the notice:
Please note that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), has developed special conditions for federal grants involving information technology. Before grant funds are distributed, award recipients must first provide a brief description of their projects to the State Information Technology Point of Contact. More information can be found in the Grantee Information Section.
FY2020 has brought with it an opportunity for departments to partner with corporate and community foundations. Throughout the country, funders are embracing the concept of Social Responsibility. This is not limited to faith-based and community organizations; many have stepped up to support the first responder community, especially in the area of training. Departments are encouraged to discuss their needs with representatives from their area Economic Development agencies and Community Foundations to develop a unified plan for safety.
In short, economic recovery efforts will not work if communities are not safe.
In addition to GrantFinder, many online resources offer users the option to sign up for email notifications so that you don’t miss any important deadlines. Take the time to specify the type of information you wish to receive and the frequency of the notices so that you aren’t bombarded with emails.
You may want to also check out previous articles like 9 Keys for Police to Secure Private-Sector Funding and Private Funding for Public Safety for more non-government resources. The private sector provides some funding resources for law enforcement, but careful research and planning is required to locate and access this funding stream.
For additional support, the PoliceGrantsHelp team is ready to assist.
NEXT: Beyond federal assistance: State COVID-19 response grants
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