Subject:
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Grant Application and Memorandum of Understanding with the City of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant JAG Local.
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Recommended Action:
Approval and execution by the County Administrator of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and related grant documents for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Local (JAG Local).Recommended Action
• The JAG Local provides recurring federal criminal justice 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). Each year the County, PCSO, and St. Pete enter into a MOU and submit a joint application to allow for an equal division of the award and avoid a disparate allocation of grant funding.
• PCSO will utilize the grant to replace outdated fleet equipment at the Central District Station’s garage.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.
• The funding is included in the FY26 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.
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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 PCSO will utilize the grant to replace outdated fleet equipment at the Central District Station’s garage.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:
Funding in an amount not to exceed $190,948.00 is provided by the FY2025 JAG Local grant program. PCSO and St. Pete will each receive $95,474.00, with PCSO serving as the applicant and fiscal agent for grant administration. This total does not include potential rollover funds. No match is required. The funding is included in the FY2026 PCSO Proposed Budget.
Delegated Authority:
Authority for the County Administrator to sign this Memorandum of Understanding is granted under Code Section 2-26 (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:
JAG Local MOU
Disclosure of Lobbying Activities
Financial Management Questions