WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) announced that municipalities in Madison and St. Clair Counties will receive a combined $97,804 from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program.
“Our first responders put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities and we must make sure they have the resources they need to stay safe on the job,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “I’m thrilled to announce that the Metro East will receive $97,804 in federal grants to purchase critical equipment, address violent crime and strengthen relationships with the community. I’m proud to have advocated for these funds and I’ll continue to work to bring tax dollars back to Central and Southern Illinois.”
“We are incredibly excited by the news of receiving funding from the Department of Justice for necessary protective equipment for our officers,” said Alton Mayor David Goins. “I want to congratulate Chief of Police Jarrett Ford and the Alton Police Department on this award. This type of equipment is vital for our officers as it helps protect them, reduce their risk of injury, and potentially save lives.”
“We can’t thank Congresswoman Budzinski enough for her continued support of law enforcement,” said St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark A. Kern. “The equipment this grant provides will offer additional tools necessary for the Sheriff’s Department to continue providing outstanding service to the residents of St. Clair County.”
Additional information on the funding awarded to the Metro East can be found below:
- $52,793 for the cities of Alton, Granite City and Madison will be used to upgrade protective equipment and purchase a vehicle to transport homeless persons to shelters, mental health and drug abuse treatment centers and reunite them with family members.
- $45,011 for Belleville and St. Clair County will be used to purchase in-car community technology and other upgraded equipment.
The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program is the leading source of federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions. The JAG Program provides states, tribes and local governments with critical funding necessary to support a range of program areas including law enforcement, prosecution, indigent defense, courts, crime prevention and education, corrections and community corrections, drug treatment and enforcement, planning, evaluation, technology improvement, and crime victim and witness initiatives and mental health programs and related law enforcement and corrections programs, including behavioral programs and crisis intervention teams. Additional information on the JAG program can be found here.
