Subject:
Title
Grant Award with the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance for the Fiscal Year 2025 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Local Solicitation
label
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval and Acceptance by the County Administrator of the Grant Award for the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Local Solicitation (JAG Local) on behalf of Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
• The JAG Local program provides recurring formula-based federal funding from the Bureau for Justice Assistance (BJA) for allocation to the City of St. Petersburg (St. Pete) and Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO).
• An executed MOU between Pinellas County (County), PCSO, and St. Pete outlines the disbursement of the JAG Local funding allocation.
• PCSO will utilize their grant funding allocation to replace outdated fleet equipment at the Central District Station garage. St. Pete will utilize its funding allocation to support and continue several crime-prevention and law enforcement initiatives.
• The FY25 JAG Local award provides a total of $190,948.00 in federal funding for the period of October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2028. PCSO and St. Pete will each receive an equal allocation of $95,474.00 with PCSO serving as the programmatic and fiscal agent of the grant award.
• The funding is included in the FY26 PCSO Budget and the FY27 PCSO Proposed Budget. The JAG Local solicitation provides a total of $190,948.00 in funding. PCSO and St. Pete will each receive $95,474.00 with PCSO serving as the fiscal administrator. No match is required.
Body
Strategic Priorities:
Healthy and Safe Communities
2.1 Improve Public Health.
2.2 Enhance Community Safety.
Summary:
The JAG local provides recurring federal criminal justice funding allocated to St. Pete and PCSO, through the County. PCSO will utilize the grant to replace outdated fleet equipment at the Central District Station’s garage. St. Pete will utilize its allocation to support and continue several crime-prevention and law enforcement initiatives.
Background/Explanation:
BJA has determined that the County and St. Pete have a disparate allocation of JAG funds. St. Pete is allocated 1.5 times more funding than the County, but the County bears more than 50% of the costs of incarceration and court security than for Part 1 violent crimes reported by St. Pete. Due to this disparate allocation, the County, PCSO and St. Pete will enter into an MOU and submit a joint application to combine and equally divide the total funds allocated to the entities. The MOU designated PCSO as the fiscal agent for financial and performance reporting. Allowable expenses include technical assistance, training, and personnel, equipment, supplies contractual support, and information systems from criminal justice to aid in planning, evaluation, and technology improvement. PCSO will utilize the grant to replace outdated fleet equipment at the Central District Station’s garage. St. Pete will utilize its allocation to support and continue several crime-prevention and law enforcement initiatives.
Historically this funding has allowed for increases in technology such as tactical surveillance units, rental vehicles, barcode reader equipment, training, and overtime for cold case investigations, and crime prevention activities.
Fiscal Impact:
Federal funding in the amount of $190,948.00 has been awarded under the FY2025 JAG Local grant program. PCSO and St. Pete will each receive an allocation of $95,474.00, with PCSO serving as the programmatic and fiscal agent for the administration of the grant award. This total does not include potential rollover funds. No match is required. The funding is included in the FY2026 PCSO Budget and the FY27 PCSO Proposed Budget.
Delegated Authority:
Authority for the County Administrator to sign this Grant Award is granted under Code Section 2-62 (a)(1) and 2-62 (a)(4).
Staff Member Responsible:
Karen Yatchum, Director, Human Services
Partners:
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
City of St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg Police Department
Attachments:
Notice of Grant Award
JAG Local MOU
Grant Budget Summary