The purpose of the LLEBG Program is to provide units of general purpose local government with funds to underwrite projects to reduce crime and improve public safety. By law, these projects must be funded in accordance with the seven purpose areas described below:

Purpose Area 1

• Law enforcement support for:

1. Hiring, training, and employing on a continuing basis new, additional law enforcement officers and necessary support personnel. (For the purposes of this program, a law enforcement officer is defined as any individual involved in crime and juvenile delinquency control or reduction or criminal law enforcement, including but not limited to police, corrections, probation, parole, and judicial officers.) Hiring: If funds are used to hire law enforcement officers, there must be a net gain above the department's currently appropriated number of law enforcement officers who perform nonadministrative public safety service. The net gain must be above the number of nonadministrative law enforcement positions appropriated as of the start of the program period.

   Example

   A unit of general purpose local government has appropriated funds in its FY 00 budget for 50 (nonadministrative) law enforcement officer positions. 47 of those positions are currently filled. The same jurisdiction receives an LLEBG award and the funds are used to hire 3 (nonadministrative) law enforcement personnel. The jurisdiction may not reduce the number of previously appropriated positions to 47 in order to fill the full complement of positions and present the LLEBG-funded positions as a net gain. This is supplanting.

   A unit of general purpose local government with all 50 appropriated nonadministrative law enforcement positions filled at the start of the grant period will realize a net gain with the addition of any LLEBG funded nonadministrative positions.

   Funds may be used to hire necessary law enforcement support personnel who perform administrative functions in the area of public safety service.

   Previously hired LLEBG funded positions may be continued with funds from a successive LLEBG grant only if locally budgeted funds have not been appropriated for those positions. Continuation of previously hired LLEBG funded positions does not provide for the required net gain.

   BJA's expectation is that jurisdictions will continue funding personnel hired under this program after the Federal grant period ends; thereby producing the required net gain.

   When exploring hiring options, focus on each new employee's position. The activities undertaken by new staff will determine the purpose area in which to place the expenditure of funds. For example, Purpose Area 1 would be appropriate for a jurisdiction hiring a dispatcher because it is intended for positions dealing with basic law enforcement functions. However, if the grantee chooses to add an attorney to prosecute additional cases involving violent offenders, Purpose Area 4 would be most appropriate.

   Training: Training should cover training of new employees to perform basic law enforcement functions. This training should not include in-service training requirements.

   Example

   If equipment is purchased, the training costs incurred to allow personnel to operate the equipment should also be included under this purpose area. However, if the grantee incurs training costs in the establishment of a crime prevention program, Purpose Area 6 would be the appropriate program area in which to place these expenditures.

2. Paying overtime to employed law enforcement officers and necessary support personnel for the purposes of increasing the number of hours worked by such personnel. (Funds used under this purpose area may be used for overtime salary, which includes all appropriate federal and state taxes, and related expenses.)

   Assess which programmatic activity the use of overtime is intended to support, then select the appropriate Purpose Area. If the overtime will provide additional regular patrols or other basic law enforcement functions, select Purpose Area 1. If the overtime is for crime prevention program support, select Purpose Area 6.

3. Procuring equipment, computer technology, and other materials directly related to basic law enforcement functions.

   Equipment and computer technology purchased under this purpose area must support basic law enforcement functions. Allowable types of equipment are, but are not limited to, service revolvers and other weapons, main frame computers, lap-top computers, printers, computer cartridges, and other basic law enforcement equipment. The purchase of computer technology to support basic law enforcement, such as that used to enhance a 911 system or to institute a jurisdiction wide criminal record information system, is also acceptable. Installation and maintenance are also included as part of the equipment or computer technology purchase.

   Grantees are reminded to consider State standards and requirements when planning to purchase new equipment or technology. Many States have mandated requirements relating to law enforcement management information systems and other criminal justice software and hardware needs. BJA strongly urges each grantee to contact the State Administrative Agency (SAA) prior to the expenditure of funds in this area to determine if relevant mandated specifications exist. Cooperation between State and local jurisdictions will ensure that efforts to modernize and standardize criminal justice technology will be coordinated under the LLEBG Program.

Purpose Area 2

• Enhancing security measures in and around schools or other facilities or locations that the unit of local government considers to be at risk for incidents of crime.

  Program funds may be used to hire or pay overtime to personnel directly involved in activities such as school-related security. Program funds may also be used to purchase equipment necessary to secure an "at-risk" facility location.

  Program legislation requires grantees intending to spend award funds to enhance security in and around schools to complete and submit to BJA an annual written assessment of the programs funded.

  Funds under this Purpose Area cannot be used for new construction. However, certain costs incurred in the renovation of facilities are allowed when specifically approved by BJA and the Office of the Comptroller. A local jurisdiction must formally request prior approval via the "correspondence" section of the LLEBG GMS. However, renovation costs may not exceed 10% of the total federal funds used for a given LLEBG funded project.

  For example, a renovation project costs $100,000, the total federal funds the program office may allow to be spent on such a project cannot exceed $10,000. The amount allocated to a purpose area has no impact on the approved amount.

Purpose Area 3

• Establishing or supporting drug courts.

  A drug court program established or supported with LLEBG Program funds must include continuing judicial supervision over non-violent offenders with substance abuse problems, and the integrated administration of other sanctions and services including:

  • for each participant, mandatory periodic testing for the use of controlled substances or other addictive substances during any period of supervised release or probation;
  • substance abuse treatment for each participant;
  • probation or other supervised release involving the possibility of prosecution, confinement, or incarceration based on noncompliance with program requirement or unsatisfactory progress; and
  • programmatic, offender management, and aftercare services such as relapse prevention, vocational job training, and job and housing placement.

  Substance abuse treatment is allowed only as a component of a drug court program. Furthermore, the hiring of drug court support personnel is allowed only if they enhance the adjudication process of cases processed in drug court.

Purpose Area 4

• Enhancing the adjudication process of cases involving violent offenders, including the adjudication of cases involving violent juvenile offenders.

  For the purposes of the LLEBG Program, a violent offender is defined as a person charged with committing a Part I violent crime under the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR). Part I violent crimes include murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.

  Example

  Enhancing the adjudication process includes a range of activities, such as: enhancing sanctions, increasing the space available to house violent offenders awaiting trial, and hiring additional attorneys to prosecute violent cases. The hiring of court support personnel involved in the adjudication process is allowed if the personnel enhance the adjudication process of cases involving violent offenders or violent juvenile offenders.

Purpose Area 5

• Establishing a multijurisdictional task force, particularly in rural areas, composed of law enforcement officials representing units of local government. These task forces must work with Federal law enforcement officials to prevent and control crime.

  BJA encourages law enforcement agencies from all levels of government to participate in operational partnership. While the participation of both Federal and local law enforcement agencies is required fro funding under this purpose area, BJA strongly encourages the participation of State law enforcement officials with the task forces.

  Activities funded under this purpose area may include the use of grant monies as confidential funds. Confidential funds are monies allocated for the purchase of services, evidence, and informant-provided information. The use of grant monies as confidential funds is subject to prior approval by BJA dn the Office of the Comptroller.

  Task force activities may result in the generation of program income. (Program income is defined as "all income generated as a direct result of an agency funded project".) Some examples of activities that may produce program income are listed below.

  Example

  The sale of property           Attorney's fees and costs      Royalties
  Registration/tuition fees     Asset seizures and forfeitures

  Program income must be used in accordance with the seven specified purpose areas and under the conditions applicable to the award of LLEBG funds. The federal award amount, local match amount, interest income, and program income must be deposited into the trust fund and obligated within the 24 month expenditure period.

  NOTE: Program income dollars retain the character of Federal funds and must not be used for unallowable program costs. LLEBG grant funds and program income are subject to the same fiscal guidelines and restraints.

Purpose Area 6

• Establishing cooperative crime prevention programs between community residents and law enforcement personnel to control, detect, or investigate crime or to prosecute criminals.

  Enabling legislation requires grantees using award funds to establish crime prevention programs to submit to BJA an annual written assessment of the programs funded.

  Programs funded under this purpose area must meet the following criteria.

  • Programs must include the active involvement of law enforcement personnel.
  • Program goals must include the control, detection, investigation of crime, and/or the prosecution of criminals.

  Example

  An example of an activity that would meet these requirements is a school-based program in which agencies within the local government work with law enforcement professionals to assist local schools in preventing and controlling crime. Another permissible activity is law enforcement officers and senior citizens working together in a community-based partnership to combat elder abuse and scams targeting seniors.

Purpose Area 7

• Defraying the cost of indemnification insurance for law enforcement officers.

  Indemnification insurance for law enforcement officers covers damages from willful acts of officers in lawfully carrying out their duties. Criminal liability is not covered by this insurance. Because law enforcement officers acquire their unique authority from the governmental entity by which they are sworn, only that entity may purchases indemnification insurance. Individual law enforcement indemnity insurance policies do not exist.

  Thus, BJA interprets the language of the legislation, "indemnification insurance for law enforcement officers," to mean indemnification insurance policies that can be purchased by government entities to cover the lawful acts of law enforcement personnel in the discharge of their official duties. Indemnification insurance policy refers to a policy issued by a licensed insurance carrier and does not include funds appropriated by a self-insured jurisdiction to cover potential liabilities or to pay individual judgements.