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(SLTT) law enforcement and prosecution agencies in their investigation and prosecution of hate crimes;
<br />assist SLTT law enforcement with training in identifying and classifying hate crimes and update these
<br />crimes in their entries in the National Incident -Based Reporting System (NIBRS); create state -run hate
<br />crime reporting hotlines that direct individuals to law enforcement, if appropriate; and fund victim support
<br />services. More information on BJA's hate crimes portfolio, including the Emmett Till Cold Case
<br />Investigations and Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes programs, can be found at Hate
<br />Crime 1 Bureau of Justice Assistance (ojp.gov).
<br />Promoting Public Trust between Communities and Criminal Justice Agencies: For many communities,
<br />recent high profile incidences of excessive uses of force have contributed to strained relationships and a
<br />lack of confidence in law enforcement, courts, and prosecutors. Justice system practitioners' ability to
<br />address crime and collaborate with the public depends on having trust and legitimacy with the communities
<br />they serve. Criminal justice agencies must work together to renew and strengthen relationships with
<br />community members and leaders in order to elevate public confidence and trust in law enforcement, the
<br />courts, prosecutors, defense counsel, and corrections; reduce crime; and ensure that the rights of all are
<br />protected. In his January 21, 2022, remarks to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Attorney General Garland
<br />stated, "...promoting public trust between communities and law enforcement is essential to making both
<br />communities and policing safer. The department will continue to fulfill its duty to ensure the constitutional
<br />policing practices that promote the accountability necessary to build that public trust." As such, BJA
<br />encourages SLTT jurisdictions to utilize JAG funding in support of projects that aim to partner police and
<br />community organizations and advance constitutional policing practices that create the transparency and
<br />accountability necessary to build public trust. The practices include, but are not limited to: eliminating racial
<br />profiling and implicit bias, eliminating excessive force and chokeholds, eliminating "no-knock" warrants in
<br />drug cases, eliminating contractual arrangements that prevent investigations of law enforcement
<br />misconduct, and prohibiting sexual contact between police and persons in their custody. BJA also
<br />encourages SLTT jurisdictions to utilize JAG funding in support of projects that aim to increase trust and
<br />confidence in prosecutorial, defense, and court practices such as neighborhood -focused community courts
<br />programs and building capacity and tools to protect constitutional rights under the Sixth Amendment.
<br />Reducing Violent Crime: Although the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniform Crime Report (UCR)
<br />Crime in the United States publications for 2020 and 2021 are not yet available, there are other indicators to
<br />suggest that certain types of violent crime increased in many areas. According to an analysis of 27 cities
<br />conducted by the Council on Criminal Justice, incidents of homicide increased 5 percent over 2020, which
<br />had already seen a 44 percent increase in homicides over 2019. Also, preliminary data compiled by the
<br />National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) indicates that as of December 31, 2021, 458
<br />federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in 2021. This is an increase
<br />of 55 percent from the 295 officers killed during the same period in 2020 and is the highest total line -of -duty
<br />officer deaths since 1930 when there were 312 fatalities. In addition, the past year has seen an
<br />unprecedented increase in threats of violence against Americans who administer the election process in our
<br />country.
<br />In June of 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a Comprehensive Strategy to Prevent and
<br />Respond to Gun Crime and Ensure Public Safety to stem the flow of firearms used to commit violence
<br />including by holding rogue firearms dealers accountable for violating federal laws; supporting local law
<br />enforcement with federal tools and resources to help address summer violent crime; investing in evidence -
<br />based community violence interventions; expanding summer programming, employment opportunities, and
<br />other services and supports for teenagers and young adults; and helping formerly incarcerated individuals
<br />successfully reenter their communities.
<br />Recognizing that violent crime and the drivers of that crime vary from community to community, BJA
<br />encourages JAG grantees to invest funds to tailor programs and responses to state and local crime issues
<br />through the use of data and analytics; coordinate with United States Attorneys and Project Safe
<br />Neighborhoods grantees in order to leverage funding for violence reduction projects, and coordinate their
<br />law enforcement activities with those of federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, the Bureau of
<br />Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States
<br />Marshals Service, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); and form partnerships with federal,
<br />state, and local law enforcement and prosecutors to identify persons who use guns in the commission of a
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