Justice Department Awards $635,000 in Grants to Support Crime-Fighting Efforts in Nassau and Suffolk Counties

Today, the Department of Justice announced that it has awarded $360,000 to the Office of the Nassau County District Attorney and $275,000 to Suffolk County, New York, as part of more than $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 awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP).

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Katherine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, OJP, announced the awards.

“DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs’ grants will provide additional support to our law enforcement and community partners in Nassau and Suffolk Counties to our collective benefit,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.

“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” stated OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Sullivan. “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.”

The awards are:

Bureau of Justice Assistance Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combatting Violent Crime Program

The program provides prosecutors with information, resources and training, and technical assistance to develop effective strategies and programs to address and prosecute individuals who commit violent crime.  Recipient: Office of the Nassau County District Attorney, $360,000.

Bureau of Justice Assistance Upholding the Rule of Law and Preventing Wrongful Convictions Program

This program supports state and local policymakers, practitioners and entities that represent individuals with post-conviction claims of innocence to review wrongful conviction claims cases and enact measures to prevent future errors and ensure justice.  Recipient: Suffolk County, New York, $275,000.

The awards announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the $250 million Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program that funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions.  Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems.

The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training and technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems.  More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.