DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE MAKES $850 MILLION AVAILABLE TO HELP PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES ADDRESS COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Matt Boster

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Posted by: Matt Boster
Date: Apr 02 2020 9:27 PM

Montgomery, Alabama – The Department of Justice has announced that it is making $850 million available to assist public safety agencies in responding to the challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19. The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, authorized by the recent CARES Act stimulus legislation signed by President Trump, will allow eligible state, local, and tribal governments to apply immediately for these critical funds. The department will be moving quickly to make the grant funds available for drawdown within days of an award.

 

United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr., praised Congress and President Trump for their quick and decisive actions in making these funds available to law enforcement during this critical time in America’s history.  “Law enforcement resources are particularly strained as a result of the current crisis,” said United States Attorney Franklin, “and we in the Middle District of Alabama are grateful for the additional funding that will enable our law enforcement partners more flexibility in responding to the challenges they face.  I encourage those agencies in need to get their grant applications in quickly so that they can receive essential funding as soon as possible.” 

 

“This is an unprecedented moment in our nation’s history and an especially dangerous one for our front-line law enforcement officers, corrections officials, and public safety professionals,” said Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “We are grateful to the Congress for making these resources available and for the show of support this program represents.”

 

The solicitation, posted by the Bureau of Justice Assistance in the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will remain open for at least 60 days and be extended as necessary. OJP has made the review of applications a top priority and it will fund successful applicants on a rolling basis as applications are received. The funds may be used for a variety of law enforcement needs, including hiring personnel, paying overtime costs, purchasing protective equipment and supplies, addressing correctional inmates’ medical needs, and defraying expenses related to the distribution of resources to areas hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds may be applied retroactively to Jan. 20, 2020, subject to federal supplanting rules.

 

Agencies that were eligible for the fiscal year 2019 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program are eligible for this emergency funding. A complete list of eligible jurisdictions and their allocations can be found at https://bja.ojp.gov/program/fy20-cesf-allocations.

 

For more information about the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, please visit https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-18553. For more information about the Office of Justice Programs, please visit https://www.ojp.gov/.

 

 

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