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Grants

Accreditation Enhancement Grant Program

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is offering a new cycle of grant to establish, enhance, and continue PowerDMS law enforcement agency accreditation platform for VLEPSC Law Enforcement Accredited Agency, or VLEPSC Law Enforcement Self-Assessment Agency.

A “VLEPSC Law Enforcement Accredited Agency” is a law enforcement agency that accredited with the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC) accreditation program.

A “VLEPSC Law Enforcement Self-Assessment Agency” is a law enforcement agency that is in the self-assessment phase of the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission (VLEPSC) accreditation program.

These guidelines contain the rules and requirements governing the Accreditation Enhancement Grants Program and Fund and instructions and applying for grant funds. One application may be submitted for VLEPSC Law Enforcement Accredited Agency or VLEPSC Law Enforcement Self-Assessment Agency.

Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Grant Program

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is pleased to announce the availability of federal American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) funds for law enforcement efforts to reduce violent crime and gun violence, which has disproportionately increased in due to the pandemic and impacted communities.
 
“Treasury recognizes the importance of comprehensive approaches to challenges like violence. The final rule includes an enumerated eligible use for community violence intervention programs in all communities, not just the disproportionately impacted communities eligible under the interim final rule. Given the increased rate of violence during the pandemic, Treasury has determined that this enumerated eligible use is responsive to the impacts of the pandemic in all communities. The final rule incorporates guidance issued after the interim final rule on specifically types of services eligible, including:
 
  • Evidence-based practices like focused deterrence, street outreach, violence interrupters, and hospital-based violence intervention models, complete with wraparound services such as behavioral therapy, trauma recovery, job training, education, housing and relocation services, and financial assistance; and
  • Capacity-building efforts at community violence intervention programs like funding more intervention workers, increasing their pay, providing training and professional development for intervention workers, and hiring and training workers to administer the programs.”

The Virginia State Budget allocated $75,000,000 in ARPA funds in the first year to the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services “to make one-time grants to state and local law enforcement agencies located in the Commonwealth, including colleges and universities, local and regional jails for the purpose of training and purchasing equipment and supplies to support law enforcement related activities, excluding equipment for which one-time equipment grants were appropriated from the general fund in Item 406, Chapter 552, 2021 Acts of Assembly (Body Worn Camera Grant Program). Of the amount provided, no less than $60,000,000 shall be provided for the support of local law enforcement agencies. Of the amount provided, the Director, Department of Criminal Justice Services, is authorized to recover reasonable, one-time costs related to administering this grant program. Any distribution made to a local law enforcement agency shall not require a local match. The Department shall report on the distributions made to the Governor, the Chairs of the House Appropriations and the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees, and the Secretary of Finance by November 1, 2023.”

Approved applications for this non-competitive funding opportunity will be awarded upon approval of the Criminal Justice Services Board on May 11, 2023, and any pending approvals necessary from the Department of Accounts.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Grant

The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in partnership with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is pleased to announce the availability of $535,653 in federal Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) grant funds. The PSN funds allow states, Tribes, units of local government, non-profits, and other organizations to support a broad range of activities to prevent and reduce violent crime. As the State Administrative Agency (SAA), DCJS has the responsibility of managing the coordination and distribution of PSN funds in a manner that supports the reduction of violent crime in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

PSN is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in our communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. Additional information on PSN can be obtained by visiting the official program website at https://www.justice.gov/psn.

Virginia Gun Violence Intervention Program Grant

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is now accepting applications for the Virginia Gun Violence Intervention Program (GVIP). The primary purpose of this initiative is to support the implementation of strategies that will result in reduced gun violence in local communities. This is a competitive solicitation open to localities in the Commonwealth who demonstrate in their application collaboration with key stakeholders and a commitment to the implementation of evidence-based programming or promising practices that have been proven effective in reducing gun violence.

Gun violence intervention and prevention programs avert interpersonal violence by working with a range of community stakeholders to provide support and intervention to those at highest risk of being a victim and/or perpetrator of violence.

Body-Worn Camera Grant Solicitation

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is pleased to announce the availability of $6.4 million in state general funds to support the use of body-worn cameras in law enforcement. DCJS is soliciting applications from law enforcement agencies within the Commonwealth of Virginia that have primary law enforcement duties within their jurisdiction to make one-time grants for the purchasing, operating and maintaining of body-worn camera systems.

During the 2020 General Assembly regular session, Virginia Code Section 15.2-1723.1 was enacted, defining a body-worn camera system as “an electronic system for creating, generating, sending, receiving, storing, and processing audiovisual recordings, including cameras or other devices capable of creating such recording, that may be worn about the person.”

Eligibility

This grant announcement is restricted to law enforcement agencies within the Commonwealth of Virginia that have primary law enforcement duties within their jurisdiction. Eligible agency types include: state and local law enforcement agencies, as well as, colleges and universities employing certified law enforcement officers.

Grant awards may be prioritized for localities making their first body-worn camera purchase and those that do not currently have a body-worn camera program.

Localities with an existing body-worn camera program are eligible and encouraged to apply. However, the need for additional equipment should be sufficiently documented.

Funds available through this grant solicitation can be used to support one-time cost associated with:

  • Purchases of body-worn camera equipment;
  • Data storage;
  • Operations; and
  • Equipment maintenance.

Twelve (12) months is the maximum length of time that grant funds will be awarded to support a body-worn camera program in a locality.

To be eligible the applicants must include:

  • Clear documented evidence of the need;
  • The applicant’s written policy governing the use of the body-worn cameras and storage of the data they produce;
  • Plan for data storage and retention;
  • Plan for equipment maintenance and replacement.

Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Grant (CESF)

Introduction
The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is pleased to make the remaining federal funds awarded through the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Grant (CESF) Program available to assist eligible applicants in preventing, preparing for, and responding to the coronavirus. This is a competitive solicitation, which will provide additional funding to assist agencies with meeting their safety and other organizational needs as they continue to deal with the effects of the pandemic.
 
Eligibility
The following entities are eligible to apply:
• Local law enforcement agencies
• Local criminal justice agencies
• Commonwealth’s Attorney Offices
• Local and regional correctional facilities and/or jails
• Regional detention facilities
• Regional criminal justice training academies
• General district courts, circuit courts, and juvenile and domestic relations courts
• Non-profit organizations providing criminal justice services, emphasizing those serving historically marginalized communities impacted by the pandemic

Applicants who received funding from the FY 2020 CESF grant program are eligible to apply. Priority will be given to local and regional correctional facilities, as well as localities experiencing the highest rates of COVID-19 cases per the Virginia Department of Health statistics at the time of review.
 
Amount Available
DCJS is making the remaining balance of an initial federal award of $10,832,775 available to assist eligible applicants in preventing, preparing for, and responding to the novel coronavirus. Approximately $4,000,000 will be available for this funding opportunity. The CESF Program is authorized by Division B of H.R. 748, Pub. L. No. 116-136 (Emergency Appropriations for Coronavirus Health Response and Agency Operations) 28 U.S.C. 530C.
Applicants can apply for no more than $50,000, unless extraordinary circumstances necessitate a greater need. There is no match requirement.  
 
Technical Assistance
To aid localities with their grant application preparation, DCJS will be facilitating a webinar training. Information on the date and time of the webinar along with the recording will be posted to the DCJS website. Please also subscribe to DCJS updates through the DCJS website to ensure notification of upcoming training/webinars on grants, trainings and future funding opportunities.
https://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/vadcjs_user/login

Please contact the following DCJS staff for questions regarding your Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program application:

Chris Boucher: christopher.boucher@dcjs.virginia.gov, (804) 584-0510

Tracy Matthews: tracy.matthews@dcjs.virginia.gov, (804) 371-0635

 


For questions and technical assistance relating to the OGMS system, contact ogmssupport@dcjs.virginia.gov. Please include your grant program area in the subject line.

 

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