County, city get $70K in enforcement funds

The funding comes from $2 billion in Recovery Act 2009 funding allocations for state and local law enforcement assistance available through the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, which includes over $50.3 million for the state of Tennessee.

Shelbyville Police Chief Austin Swing was happy to hear the news and said this type of grant gives the department much more choice of where to spend the funding.

"It's a great thing," Swing said. "There never seems to be enough money to spend on the things we want to do."

According to data released on recovery.gov, the county will receive a total of $24,121 while Shelbyville will get $45,742, for a total of $69,863 in funding.

The program supports a variety of efforts "such as hiring and support for law enforcement officers; multijurisdictional drug and gang task forces; crime prevention and domestic violence programs; and courts, corrections, treatment, and justice information sharing initiatives," the announcement said.

Not only will the funding allow the department to hire extra police officers, but could also be used for programs like fighting graffiti "and all types of crime and safety measures," Swing said.

"That's the best thing about it -- we can spend it on what we need it for."

Sheriff Randall Boyce said that unlike Homeland Security grants, which limit what the department can use the funding for, the new grant will not be earmarked for certain items.

"We had heard there was stimulus money coming and it's great that we're getting that," Boyce said. "We can actually get more good out of it," since the funding is not earmarked.

According to the federal government, the procedure for allocating JAG grants is based on a formula of population and violent crime statistics, in combination with a minimum allocation to ensure that each state and territory receives an appropriate share of funding.

"These funds are a vital component in our effort to not just revive our economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity and security," President Barack Obama said.

"By keeping police officers on the streets whose jobs were threatened by budget cuts and ensuring states and municipalities have the tools and equipment necessary to fight crime, this money will simultaneously help jump-start the American economy and protect our citizens."

Sixty percent of the allocation is awarded directly to a state and 40 percent is set aside for units of local governments, according to recovery.gov.

"Funding will be used by states and more than 5,000 local communities to enhance their ability to protect communities and combat crime," the website says.

The Recovery Act also includes more than $4 billion to assist state, local and tribal law enforcement and for other criminal and juvenile justice activities that help to prevent crime and improve the criminal justice system in the United States while supporting the creation of jobs and much needed resources for states and local communities.