Skip to main content
Press Release

Alabama Agencies and Cities Receive Over $21 Million from Justice Department for Crime Prevention and Victim Services

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Alabama

Montgomery, Alabama - In 2014 the Department of Justice awarded $21,617,777.00 in grant money to Alabama agencies and cities in the Middle District of Alabama, announced U. S. Attorney George L. Beck, Jr.

The money is to be used for crime prevention and victim services in the form of state and local initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and information systems for criminal justice; to decrease the time necessary for DNA analysis; to aid in juvenile delinquent rehabilitation; and to provide a variety of victim services. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) Law Enforcement and Traffic Safety Division, the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center, the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, and the Alabama Board of Pardons and Pardons received very large grants from the Department of Justice. However, several other agencies and cities also received grant funds from the Justice Department.

Municipalities receiving 2014 DOJ grant funding included:

• The City of Montgomery received $77,075.00 to be used for training and to purchase canines, canine vehicle inserts, Cellebrite equipment, and a low rise scissor lift and wheel balancer.

• The City of Dothan received $35,479.00 to purchase in-car video cameras, mounted lights, holsters, and flashlights.

• The City of Auburn was awarded $27,940.00 to purchase license plate readers, traffic radar units, body cameras, and digital video systems.

• The City of Phenix City received $20,462.00 to purchase an Automatic Fingerprint Identification System.

• The City of Enterprise received $11,771.00 for the purchase of tasers and accessories, and a digital in-car video system.

In addition to the cities above, fourteen agencies received grant funding as well. Those agencies include:

• The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) Law Enforcement and Traffic Safety Division received nine grants totaling $13,930,417.00. This funding will be used for a variety of purposes including: enhancing crime victim’s services throughout the state; supporting drug and violent crime task forces; addressing violence against women; improving the juvenile justice system and reducing juvenile delinquency; providing substance abuse treatment in correctional and detention facilities; improving forensic and medical examiner services; and enhancing the safety of women incarcerated in correctional facilities.

• The Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center was awarded four grants totaling $1,940,629.00. This funding will be used increase the safety and security of citizens by improving background checks and the collection sex offender data.

• The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences obtained $1,263,414.00 in grant funds. These funds will be used to update equipment used to process DNA samples which will allow such samples to be analyzed more effectively and efficiently.

• The Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles received two grants totaling $1,057,176.00. These grants will be used for reentry and supervision programs that will seek to reduce recidivism.

• The Alabama Administrative Office of Courts received $509,112.00 in grant funding to implement the Alabama Family Drug Court Statewide System Reform project in an effort to serve families in the child welfare system affected by parental substance abuse disorders more effectively and improve child, parent, and family outcomes.

• The Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation was awarded $499,185.00 to enhance information sharing between criminal justice and mental health/substance abuse agencies and providers.

• The Alabama Department of Corrections received $499,166.00 to enhance the safety of women incarcerated in correctional facilities.

• The Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Commission received $453,000.00 to enhance victim compensation payments to eligible crime victims.

• The Alabama Department of Public Health was awarded $400,000.00 to enhance prescription drug data collection in order to better address prescription drug diversion and abuse.

• The Alabama Department of Public Safety received $326,989.00 to maintain and expand its Internet Crimes Against Children program and improve the Task Force’s effectiveness in preventing, interdicting, investigating and prosecuting online crimes against children.

• The Alabama Office of Prosecution Services received two grants totaling $233.117.00. The largest grant will be used to improve programs that prosecute, register, monitor, and track sex offenders. A grant was also awarded for student loan repayment for eligible public defenders and prosecutors.

• The Alabama Coalition Against Rape was awarded $126,045.00 to provide services to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.

• The Alabama Attorney General's Office received $125,000.00 to assist in solving cold cases using DNA analysis.

• The Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence was awarded $81,795.00 to provide services to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.

“We must make sure our law enforcement officers and service providers have all the tools necessary to vigorously combat crime in this District,” stated U.S. Attorney George Beck. “These grants will allow law enforcement to purchase those tools necessary to protect the citizens as well as protect the law enforcement officers while fighting crime. I am proud that the Department of Justice chose to allocate grant money to these cities and agencies to prevent crime and provide enhanced services in our community.”

PRESS CONTACT: Clark Morris
Email: usaalm.press@usdoj.gov
Telephone: (334) 551-1755
Fax: (334) 223-7617

Updated March 16, 2015