$11.6 million to help address pandemic
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Sooner State has been allocated $11.6 million of the $850 million that the U.S. Department of Justice is making available to help public safety agencies nationwide respond to the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, authorized by the recent stimulus legislation signed by President Trump, will allow eligible state, local and tribal governments to apply immediately for the funds. The department is moving quickly to make awards, with the goal of having funds available for drawdown within days of the award.
The solicitation, posted by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) in the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will remain open for at least 60 days and maybe extended if necessary.
OJP will fund successful applicants as a top priority on a rolling basis as applications are received. Funds may be used to hire personnel, pay overtime costs, cover protective equipment and supplies, address correctional inmates’ medical needs, and defray expenses related to the distribution of resources to hard-hit areas, among other activities. Grant funds may be applied retroactively to Jan. 20, 2020, subject to federal rules.
Oklahoma’s allocation was $7,752,847. In addition to the state’s allocation, Oklahoma agencies that were eligible for the fiscal year 2019 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program are eligible to apply to BJA for additional direct emergency funding that totals $3,866,386.
Two dozen jurisdictions (10 counties and 14 municipalities) are eligible for that funding. The potential recipients include the City of Lawton (eligible for as much as $227,206) and Comanche County (eligible for up to $58,008), records indicate.
May 29 is the closing date for applications, the BJA website reflects. “The speedy availability of these funds highlights the importance the Department places on this pandemic, and hopefully it provides some support to public servants committed to upholding the rule of law during these challenging times,” said Oklahoma’s Western District U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing. “This funding also demonstrates that the DOJ is committed to ensuring that our Oklahoma partners have some financial relief that may be needed during these unprecedented times.”
“This is an unprecedented moment in our nation’s history and an especially dangerous one for our front-line law enforcement officers, corrections officials, and public safety professionals,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Office of Justice Programs principal deputy assistant attorney general.