JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $376 MILLION IN AWARDS TO PROMOTE PUBLIC SAFETY

WHEELING – The Department of Justice this week announced that it has awarded 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. $350,520 will support public safety activities in the Northern District of West Virginia. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.

“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. 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 announced today support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which 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. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems. 

“I was so pleased to see the grant announcements from the Department of Justice.  Several of our local law enforcement agencies now have additional resources to protect our citizens.  My office is proud to work with these recipients and all of our law enforcement on a daily basis.  I know these additional funds will greatly help the work of these terrific law enforcement partners,” said Powell. 

The following awards were made to organizations in the Northern District of West Virginia:

•    City of Wheeling, Wheeling Police Department: $295,163
•    City of Martinsburg, Martinsburg Police Department: $13,575
•    City of Morgantown, Morgantown Police Department: $13,734
•    Monongalia County, Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office: $15,371
•    Berkeley County Council, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office: $12,677

Statewide, the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation received $250,000, and the West Virginia Division of Administrative Services, Justice and Community Services received $1,191,487.

Information about the programs and awards announced today is available here. For more information about OJP awards, visit the OJP Awards Data webpage.

The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, 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.