DOJ allocates $850 million in grants to help communities respond to COVID-19

Eligible agencies may use the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Program funds for a variety of COVID-19 related expenses, including equipment, overtime pay and travel expenses

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), in coordination with the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) are accepting applications for the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program (CESF).

As a part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act , the DOJ was provided $850 million to award funding to state, local and tribal governments to aid with prevention, preparation and response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Funding is being distributed by the OJP as grants, with a maximum of 1,873 awards to be given over a two year period.

Clearwater Police officer Joseph Czop, on left, and Sgt. Meg Hasty, in center, both wearing protective face masks and gloves. Law enforcement officers are facing a new array of challenges policing during a global pandemic. Image: Dirk Shadd/Times via TNS

Funds from the program may be used for, but are not limited to the following:

Overtime pay
Equipment, including law enforcement and medical personal protective equipment
Hiring
Supplies, such as gloves, masks, sanitizer
Training
Travel expenses, particularly related to the distribution of resources to the most impacted areas
Addressing the medical needs of inmates in state, local, and tribal prisons, jails and detention centers

Funds to be used for individual items costing $500,000 or more must be properly identified and justified by a grantee and must receive written approval by the BJA via Grant Adjustment Notice (GAN) before purchase. Funds intended to be used for unmanned aerial systems (UAS), unmanned aircrafts (UA) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are subject to Federal Aviation Administration approval.

Those eligible to apply include any state, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, unit of local government and federally recognized tribal government that was previously identified as eligible for financial assistance under the FY 2019 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. CESF eligible award amounts per state and territory were calculated and allocated beforehand, and the full list of these allocations can be found here .

Of the $850 million, the OJP has already awarded $460,208,740 in CESF grants to 439 grantees and is still accepting applications until May 29, 2020 . Before submitting an application, applicants must register with the Grant Management System (GMS) even if they have done so previously for another occasion.

Below is a list of some of the grant recipients thus far. A full list can be accessed here :

Tracy, CA - $37,584
Harrison County Commission, Clarksburg, WV - $58,008
Fountain, CO - $34,327
Albany County Sheriff’s Office, Albany, NY - $58,008
Cumberland, MD - $39,559
Malden, MA - $56,665
Melbourne, FL - $159,181
Winter Garden Police Department, Winter Garden, FL - $35,709
Pemberton, NJ - $37,919
Cass County, Fargo ND - $58,008
Metropolitan Government of Nashville And Davidson County, Nashville TN - $1,551,648
Fayetteville, NC - $408,226
Saline County, Salina, KS - $58,008
Bay County Commission, Panama City, FL - $82,882
St. Joseph, MO - $96,453
Decatur, IL - $99,423
Connecticut Office of Policy and Management, Hartford, CT - $5,875,620
Westchester County, Hawthorne, NY - $58,008
City of Newport Rhode Island, Newport, RI - $47,140
City of Madison Police Department, Madison, WI - $279,128
North Carolina Department of Public Safety - $15,371,484
County of Vance, Henderson, NC - $58,008
Hanover County Sheriff's Office, Hanover, VA - $39,736
Alabama Department of Economic And Community Affairs, Montgomery, AL - $9,645,679
Board of County Commissioners of Allegany County Maryland, Cumberland, MD - $58,008
American Somoa, Pago Pago, AS - $2,231,620
Anniston, AL - $173,335
Arapahoe County, Littleton, CO - $78,787
Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, Phoenix, AZ - $12,430,204
Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Little Rock, AR - $6,926,980
Tom Green County, San Angelo, TX - $58,008
Atlantic City, NJ - $175,838
Aurora Police Department, IL - $144,486
Baltimore County, MD - $1,036,604
Barnstable, Hyannis, MA - $74,598
Bell Police Department, Bell, CA - $51,471
Benton Police Department, Benton, AR - $38,174
Berkeley County Council, Martinsburg, WV - $40,845
Biloxi, MS - $106,222
Binghamton, NY - $87,502
Bismarck, ND - $95,241
Red Bluff, CA - $32,980
Covina Police Department, Covina, CA - $33,508
Surprise, AZ - $33,512
Shelbyville, TN - $33,541
Reedley Police Department, Reedley, CA - $35,016
Prescott, AZ - $36,759
Washoe County, Reno, NV - $36,862
Wayne, MI - $37,011
Clarksburg, WV - $37,272

About the author

Kenny Sokan is a freelance writer at Gov1. She is a strong believer in the power of information and creative expression, which guides her in all of the work that she does. Kenny is a graduate of Northeastern University with a BA in journalism.