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Council approves joint application for Edward Byrne JAG funds; police outline training and community uses
Summary
The council approved a joint city-county application for a federal Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant; Omaha Police officials described planned uses including training, a forensic microscope, a new K-9, ballistic shields, community outreach and behavioral-health overtime operations.
The Omaha City Council approved on Jan. 14 a joint application by the City of Omaha and Douglas County for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG). City Police and grant staff described how the award would support equipment, training and community-focused public-safety activities.
Grant purpose and amount: Deputy Chief Steve Servany and grant manager Margaret Perdue said the federal JAG award—applied for jointly with Douglas County—would cover items the police department’s regular operating budget does not, including investigator training, forensic equipment, a new canine, ballistic shields, virtual-reality training headsets, and overtime for community outreach and behavioral-health co-responder operations. The packet included a line-item budget; Perdue said this council action is review of the application and the award acceptance will come later.
Examples of planned uses: Servany listed several intended expenditures: training for internal-affairs and background investigators; the NATIA annual conference for vice/investigative units; certification training for a new bloodhound unit; a forensic digital microscope to assist CSI techs with trace evidence and DNA; level-3 ballistic shields for command vehicles; purchase and training for a K-9 (roughly $15,000); virtual-reality training to improve de-escalation and behavioral-health response; and overtime funding to support the police behavioral-health co-responder program and community outreach such as youth and citizens academies.
Why it matters: Officials said the funds enable training and equipment that support public-safety goals—crime clearance, evidence handling, behavioral-health response and community engagement—without adding to the department’s base operating budget.
Council discussion: Council Member Johnson and others asked for more detail on stakeholders, timelines and geographic focus for the grant spending. Servany and Perdue said the program is citywide and that spending will follow federal clearance; Perdue estimated spending could begin in spring after federal financial clearance and that a subaward agreement with Douglas County would return to council for approval before county funds are spent.
Vote and next steps: The council approved the application and moved to accept the award when it is offered; the acceptance and grant agreements will be brought back to the council for final authorization and financial clearance.
