Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program
FY 2017 Competitive Grant Announcement
Applications Due: February 16, 2017
Overview
Link – https://www.bja.gov/funding/BWCPIP17.pdf
Law enforcement agencies across the country and worldwide are using body-worn cameras (BWC) as a promising tool to improve law enforcement interactions with the public. BWCs can provide a visual and audio record of interactions. Some preliminary evidence indicates that the presence of BWCs helps strengthen accountability and transparency, and can assist in de- escalating conflicts, resulting in more constructive encounters between the police and members of the community. This competitive solicitation is for law enforcement agencies seeking to establish or enhance BWC Policy and Implementation Programs (PIP). Successful applicants will be responsible for a mandatory 50 percent in-kind or cash match.
The FY 2017 BWC PIP will support the implementation of body-worn camera programs in law enforcement agencies across the country. The intent of the program is to help agencies develop, implement, and evaluate a BWC program as one tool in a law enforcement agency’s comprehensive problem-solving approach to enhance officer interactions with the public and build community trust.
Successful applicants will develop and implement policies and practices required for effective program adoption, and will address program factors including the purchase, deployment, and maintenance of camera systems and equipment; data storage and access; and privacy considerations. BJA expects the BWC programs to make a positive impact on the quality of policing in these jurisdictions and to inform national efforts to improve the use of BWCs more broadly. While BWC equipment may be purchased under this program, successful applicants must demonstrate a commitment and adherence to a strong BWC policy framework, including comprehensive policy adoption and requisite training.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants are limited to public agencies of state government, units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments that perform law enforcement functions (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior); or any department, agency, or instrumentality of the foregoing that performs criminal justice functions (including combinations of the preceding, one of which is designated as the primary applicant).
BJA welcomes applications under which two or more entities would carry out the federal award; however, only one entity may be the applicant. Any others must be proposed as subrecipients (“subgrantees”). The applicant must be the entity that would have primary responsibility for carrying out the award, including administering the funding and managing the entire Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program. Under this solicitation, only one application by any particular applicant entity will be considered. An entity may, however, be proposed as a subrecipient (“subgrantee”) in more than one application.
BJA may elect to fund applications submitted under this FY 2017 solicitation in future fiscal years, dependent on, among other considerations, the merit of the applications and on the availability of appropriations.
If clarification as to an entity’s eligibility is needed, applicants are encouraged to contact BJA to confirm their eligibility before developing a full application. BJA will consider supporting documentation relevant to a determination of eligibility.
Deadline
Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. All applications are due to be submitted and in receipt of a successful validation message in Grants.gov by 11:59p.m. eastern time on February 16, 2017.
Technology Innovation for Public Safety (TIPS)
Addressing Precipitous Increases in Crime
FY 2017 Competitive Grant Announcement
Applications Due: February 7, 2017
Overview
Link – https://www.bja.gov/funding/TIPS17.pdf
While many jurisdictions are making significant progress implementing justice information sharing solutions to address critical gaps in coordinating crime prevention across organizations and jurisdictions, there remains significant challenges inhibiting the ability of the criminal justice system to respond to threats to public safety, especially when it comes to addressing significant increases in crime(s). For this solicitation, justice information-sharing technology refers to any technology (hardware and/or software, hosted residentially or remotely) that plays a role in the collection, storage, sharing, and analysis of criminal justice data. Funding under this program is
provided to assist state, local, territorial, and tribal jurisdictions in enhancing their justice information-sharing capacity through the use of innovative technological solutions in order to allow them to more effectively address disproportional and precipitous increases in crime(s).
This is not an equipment purchasing solicitation. Applications limited to equipment purchases will be ineligible and eliminated from funding consideration.
Eligibility
Under this solicitation BJA is looking for innovative technology implementation and applicant projects that specifically address precipitous increases in crime(s) on a local, county, or regional basis. Eligible applicants are public agencies of state governments, units
of local government, federally recognized Indian tribal governments that perform law enforcement functions (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior), or government agencies acting as fiscal agents for one of the previously listed eligible applicants.
BJA welcomes applications under which two or more entities would carry out the federal award; however, only one entity may be the applicant. Any others must be proposed subrecipients (“subgrantees”). The applicant must be the entity that would have primary
responsibility for carrying out the award, including administering the funding and managing the entire project. A subrecipient can represent nonprofit or for-profit organizations (including tribal nonprofit or for-profit organizations), faith-based and community organizations, or
institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education) that support initiatives to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system as well as the same type of agency as the primary applicant. It is important to note that for-profit organizations (as well as other recipients) must agree to forgo any profit or management fee and this must be stated in the application. Applications establishing these types of partnerships will receive priority consideration.
The application should also clearly identify the lead applicant and the subrecipient(s). The lead applicant must be the entity with primary responsibility for administering the funding and managing the entire project. Under this solicitation, only one application by any particular
applicant entity will be considered. An entity may, however, be proposed as a subrecipient (“subgrantee”) in more than one application.
To be eligible for funding under this solicitation applicants must propose solutions that will be deployed to jurisdictions that are currently experiencing precipitous or extraordinary increases in crime, in accordance with 42 U.S.C. § 3756(b)(1) to assist them in addressing these increases. To assist with the application process and verify the applicant’s eligibility, a required maximum two-page document is required to be submitted with the application specifically identifying the increased crime(s) to be addressed and showing statistical data proving the increases over a two-year period.
BJA may elect to fund applications submitted under this FY 2017 solicitation in future fiscal years, dependent on, among other considerations, the merit of the applications and on the availability of appropriations.
Deadline
Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on February 7, 2017.
Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program
FY 2017 Competitive Grant Announcement
Applications Due: February 2, 2017
Overview
Link – https://www.bja.gov/funding/BCJI17.pdf
Healthy, vibrant communities are places that provide the opportunities, resources, and environment that children and adults need to maximize their life outcomes, including high-quality schools and cradle-to-career educational programs; high-quality and affordable housing; thriving commercial establishments; access to quality health care and health services; art and cultural amenities; parks and other recreational spaces; and the safety to take advantage of these opportunities. Unfortunately, millions of Americans live in distressed communities where a combination of crime, poverty, unemployment, poor health, struggling schools, inadequate housing, and disinvestment keeps many residents from reaching their full potential. Further, research suggests that crime clustered in small areas, or crime “hot spots,” accounts for a disproportionate amount of crime and disorder in many communities. Research also reinforces that in some communities there are also a significant percentage of residents who are under criminal supervision or returning from correctional facilities, creating opportunities for community-based, proactive approaches for these residents that can prevent recidivism. The complexity of these issues has led to the emergence of comprehensive place-based and community-oriented initiatives that involve criminal justice and service providers from multiple sectors, as well as community representatives from all types of organizations, working together
to reduce and prevent crime and to revitalize communities. This kind of longer term, community driven approach is critical in communities where historic lack of resources and assistance can erode the confidence of residents in the ability of governments to solve these community challenges.
In many ways, community safety and crime prevention are prerequisites to the transformation of distressed communities, including the revitalization of civic engagement. Addressing community safety is the role of criminal justice agencies, the community, and its partners as a whole. To improve and revitalize communities, all relevant stakeholders should be included: law enforcement and criminal justice (such as prosecutors, defense, pretrial, corrections and reentry agencies), education, housing, city attorneys, health and human services, community and faith based nonprofits, local volunteers, residents, and businesses. Policymakers and their advisors are also critical partners in supporting these efforts to enhance relationships with residents to more effectively address local crime issues.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants are limited to states, institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education), units of local government, nonprofit organizations (including tribal nonprofit organizations), and federally recognized Indian tribal governments (as
determined by the Secretary of the Interior) as fiscal agent.
Category 1: Implementation Grant (NOTE: eligibility limited to previous BCJI Planning grantees)
Category 2: Planning and Implementation Grant (open to any eligible applicant)
For this solicitation, community is defined broadly as a geographic area that has social meaning to residents. In urban areas, the term community may be used interchangeably with neighborhood to describe a specific geographic area that is delineated by major streets or
physical topography. In urban areas, a community is typically less than two miles wide, while in rural and tribal areas it is often larger and part of an entire county.
The BCJI application requires a consortium of criminal justice, community, and/or human service partners (hereinafter referred to as “cross-sector partnership”) to plan and implement a targeted strategy addressing crime in a specific community. The cross-sector partnership must designate one eligible entity to serve as the fiscal agent. The fiscal agent must ensure that the cross-sector partnership is committed to and can successfully oversee key enforcement, prevention, intervention, and community engagement strategies and access and analyze key data (crime and other) with regular input from the research and law enforcement agency partners.
Jurisdictions are strongly encouraged to coordinate with and seek the support of their local U.S. Attorney and local policymakers and to connect with their other violent crime and community revitalization efforts.
Deadline
Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on February 2, 2017.
