NEW JERSEY – New Jersey will be receiving over $4 million in grant funding from the Department of Justice to support public safety activities. This is part of a total $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States.
The $4,561,569 awarded to the District of New Jersey will be portioned out amongst various counties and townships, including $15,572 to Lakewood Township in Ocean County.
“These awards provide substantial resources to support important public safety initiatives sponsored by our state and local law enforcement partners,” US Attorney Craig Carpenito, District of New Jersey, said. “This kind of support from the Department of Justice encourages greater cooperation among federal, state and local law enforcement, as we work together to protect the people of New Jersey.”
The grants will support various “crime-fighting initiatives,” including:
- The Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions.
- Sex offender registration and notification
- Law enforcement-based victim services
- The testing of sexual assault kits
- Programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems.
Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems, according to state officials.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan said. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
In New Jersey, the following are the local recipients of the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program:
- Union County, $167,387
- City of Passaic, $180,339
- Asbury Park, $51,346
- Mercer County, $131,756
- Newark Police Department, $434,882
- City of Camden, $208,291
- Vineland, $82,671
- Lakewood, $15,572
- Atlantic City, $68,318
- Perth Amboy, $86,689
At the state level, the New Jersey Division of Law & Public Safety was awarded $3,817,827 through the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office was awarded $350,345 through the BJA Intellectual Property Enforcement Program: Protecting Public Health, Safety, and the Economy from Counterfeit Goods and Product Piracy.
The New Jersey Dept. of Corrections was awarded $246,146 through the BJA Implementing the Prison Rape Elimination Act Standards, Protecting Inmates, and Safeguarding Communities Program.
For more information about OJP awards, visit ojp.gov.
