Okaloosa County BOCC — August 16, 2016 — Edward Bryne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program FY2016 — agenda request

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA REQUEST DATE: August 16, 2016 TO: Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board FROM: Catrherine White - Director of Case Management, Court Administration SUBJECT: Edward Bryne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program FY2016 STATEMENT OF ISSUE: Request approval of the Safe Connections and Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grant program applications. BACKGROUND: The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program -JAG Countywide - State Solicitation, has allocated $69,945 to Okaloosa County to be used by local units of government. The JAG funds may be used by local units of government for state and local initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and information systems for criminal justice. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, Crestview Police Department, Fort Walton Beach Police Department, Niceville Police Department, Shalimar Police Department, and Safe Connections were the agencies selected to receive funds from this grant. The applicants are required to submit their grant application online by August 26, 2016, and submit two original fully executed grant applications to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement by August 31, 2016. Request to submit the following grant applications: A. Safe Connections - $22,445: Safe Connections serves and protects child victims of abuse, as well as serves adult and child victims of domestic violence. The center offers victims a safe and neutral environment with flexible scheduling within which to conduct supervised visitation and monitored exchanges. Safety is provided for victims of domestic violence by facilitating court-ordered visitation and monitored exchanges for the victims, sparing them any contact with their victimizer. Children are served by giving them an advocate and by maintaining a safe and secure place to visit without fear of exposure to emotional and/or physical harm. In order to address the impacts of child physical and sexual abuse, child neglect and abandonment, and domestic violence, this program strives to have an understanding of the dynamics of child abuse and exposure to violence, as well as the factors that determine the severity of a child’s response to this violence. Intervention and program services must be unique to the child’s situation. It has been suggested that programs that support parenting and the parent-child relationship while addressing the safety of the non-abusing caregiver have positive effects on a child’s ability to move forward after suffering the crises of family violence. Approved funding will be used to assist the center in providing a safe, supervised visitation and monitored exchange services to children who have been the victim of or who have witnessed acts of violence.  B. Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office - $12,000: Grant funding will be utilized for the purchase thirty-two vest/carriers and ballistic rifle plates for uniform patrol officers, which are supplemental to the soft body armor worn daily by deputies. The soft body armor are rated Level IIIA, which only offers protection against handgun rounds. The vest/carriers and ballistic rifle plates are rated Level IV and will offer protection against rifle rounds. These vest/carriers, which have both a front and rear plate, also offer protection to the officer’s back.