Federal funding contained in Fiscal Year 2010 CJS Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Arlen Specter and Bob Casey today announced that the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has approved federal funding for several Pennsylvania projects. The projects are contained in the Fiscal Year 2010 Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill.
“This funding will have tremendous impact on local communities by enhancing safety through advanced law enforcement programs and promoting important scientific initiatives,” Senator Specter said. “I am pleased my colleagues have approved federal funding for these vital projects.”
“I am pleased that these important projects for Pennsylvania were approved,” Senator Casey said. “I will continue to work with Senator Specter to fund economic development programs, law enforcement and violence prevention initiatives, and scientific research projects throughout the Commonwealth.”
The bill must be approved by the full Senate, the House of Representatives and signed into law by the President before funding is final.
Pennsylvania projects in the bill include:
Central
• $2,400,000 for Susquehanna River Basin Commission of Harrisburg to support flood warning infrastructure and provide advanced flood warning information to communities in the Susquehanna River Basin.
• $500,000 for Centre County for emergency communications system upgrades which will improve safety for citizens of the county and allow for interoperability among multiple agencies.
• $150,000 for Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV) of Harrisburg to support domestic violence training programs which assist over 60 community-based domestic violence programs through the use of technology in improving outcomes.
• $100,000 for City of Harrisburg for the purchase and installation of digital surveillance equipment in law enforcement vehicles. Digital video surveillance installed in the Harrisburg Bureau of Police’s law enforcement vehicle fleet will provide critical records of the activities occurring when police officers are required to leave their vehicles for traffic stops, investigation of crime scenes and DUI arrests.
Southeast
• $500,000 for Philadelphia University for textile research and development. Philadelphia University will conduct research at its Biomedical Textile Structures Laboratory (BTSL) that will combine nanofiber technology with advanced textile manufacturing technologies.
• $500,000 for the City of Philadelphia for the Youth Violence Reduction Partnership (YVRP). YVRP is a multi-agency anti-violence initiative that has succeeded in reducing murders among youth ages 10-24 in targeted high crime areas of Philadelphia.
• $500,000 for the Philadelphia Police Department to purchase a ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System (GLS) that calculates the position where a gun was fired and sends data to a central serve accessible by law-enforcement agencies. This will decrease police response time, increase officer safety, and save numerous lives.
• $300,000 for Bucks County for a county crime information sharing system to support interoperability and interdisciplinary information sharing across the county’s public safety system. This project will involve the development of infrastructure to allow for a common platform throughout county public service agencies which will be capable of accessing a common records management system.
• $50,000 for Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center of Montgomery County to support child abuse and advocacy programs, which assist abused, neglected and at-risk children.
Lehigh Valley
• $500,000 for Lehigh County for technology infrastructure for the Lehigh Valley Regional Crime Center, which would be a cross-jurisdictional effort involving over 50 local law enforcement agencies in Lehigh and Northampton Counties, as well as benefit agencies in Berks County.
• $250,000 for Lehigh University for research and development of nanomaterials. This will support the continued development of innovative nanomaterials and devices for NASA space flight applications.
Southwest
• $500,000 for the City of Pittsburgh for purchase, installation and maintenance of security cameras, as part of a neighborhood crime watch initiative. Specifically, this project would support the deployment of cameras in business districts and neighborhoods across the City of Pittsburgh.
• $250,000 for Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh for a domestic violence support program. This center offers a comprehensive range of services for victims of domestic violence and their children, including legal and medical advocacy, individual counseling, housing advocacy and assistance in goal planning and safety planning.
• $200,000 for KidsVoice in Allegheny County to support child abuse and advocacy programs to assist abused, neglected, and at-risk children.
• $100,000 for Somerset County for Somerset County Communication Tower to support a county wide communications systems upgrade to enhance emergency responder services.
Northwest
• $400,000 for Clarion County for interoperable communications, which will serve a six county region. Clarion County will work in partnership with the Northwest Central Emergency Response Group, which consists of Clarion, Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson and McKean counties, for the purpose of promoting seamless interoperability capabilities among counties, hospitals, and regional, state and federal agencies.
• $200,000 for the Pennsylvania Children’s Advocacy Centers and Multidisciplinary Teams in Erie for a program to educate parents and adults on the protection of children from online sexual predators. The Internet Child Safety Education initiative will enhance the well being of the children of Pennsylvania and increase awareness about child sexual abuse.
Northeast
• $400,000 for the Women’s Resource Center in Scranton to provide emergency shelter and support services to victims of sexual and domestic violence. The Women’s Resource Center assists approximately 2,000 women and children annually in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
• $100,000 for the Lackawanna County Treatment Court to support an initiative to enhance treatment and rehabilitation services for targeted prisoners, including those individuals whose offenses are related to alcohol and substance abuse.
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