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PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING ACCEPTANCE OF A GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $17,507 TO THE CITY OF NORMAN AND CLEVELAND COUNTY FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE/BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE (DOJ/BJA) THROUGH THE EDWARD BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT (JAG) PROGRAM WITH NORMAN'S PORTION OF $15,758 TO BE USED BY THE NORMAN POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR FORENSIC TRAINING AND ASSOCIATED TRAVEL, APPROVAL OF CONTRACT K-1819-69, AND BUDGET APPROPRIATION FROM THE GRANT REVENUE ACCOUNT.
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BACKGROUND: The U.S. Department of Justice, fiscal year 2018 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant, announced that grant funds are available to the City of Norman and Cleveland County in the amount of $17,508. These entities are considered disparate jurisdictions based on a U.S. Department of Justice formula that includes population crime statistics and other law enforcement related data. Norman's share of the award is $15,758 with the remaining $1,750 passing through to Cleveland County.
DISCUSSION: The department received notice of an award for the 2018 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Award 2018-DJ-BX-0698).
The Norman Police Department has limited training funds for forensic personnel. Prosecutors and other agencies work closely with investigators to ensure proper criminal investigations, thorough documentation, and credible reporting and testimony. They demand detailed forensic examinations and crime scene investigations. We are a mid-sized agency and attempting to use the State's lab for our cases quickly overwhelms their resources. The State has repeatedly requested that we assume more and more of the responsibilities for forensic examinations. To accommodate the desires of both our local partners and the State's lab, we will use JAG funds to bridge the gap between our funding and our specialized forensic training needs. The project will, therefore, provide minimal continuing education for the Norman Police Department's Forensic Technicians...
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