Announcement

On October 29, 2008, an Office of Justice Programs' (OJP) system error resulted in an email being sent to more than 37,000 Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) website registrants, announcing that they were receiving a FY 2008 BVP award. The email stated that funds had been posted to accounts and referred email recipients to a website to view the list of 2008 BVP awards.

This email resulted in much confusion as thousands of the email recipients immediately logged onto the website, overloading it, and causing sluggishness to the site. In turn, the BVP HelpDesk was overwhelmed with inquiries, resulting in delays in responding to calls for clarification and assistance. While OJP works to correct this error, we apologize for any confusion you may have experienced.

To determine if your agency will receive a FY 2008 BVP award, please view the complete listing of FY 2008 awards at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bvpasi/. If your agency appears on this list, funds have already been posted to your account in the BVP system.

For additional questions you might have regarding this year's awards, or the BVP Program, please do not hesitate to contact the BVP HelpDesk at 1-877-758-3787 or vests@usdoj.gov.

Domingo S. Herraiz
Director, BJA

FY 2008 Grant Awards
The following FY 2008 awards have been announced: Edward Byrne Memorial Competitive Grant Program, Correctional Facilities on Tribal Lands, Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program, Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.) Program, Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program, Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program, Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification (SAVIN) Program, and Tribal Courts Assistance Program. All applicants not awarded grant funding will receive a letter from BJA by November regarding their application.

National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children Webinar
One of BJA's partners, the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children (NADEC), is hosting a webinar, "Developing Grants that Win," on November 5 at 1:30 p.m. e.t., which will focus on writing federal grants for programs that address drug endangered children. For more information and to register, visit the NADEC web site.

Drug Court Training
Registration for the Adult Drug Court Planning Initiative (DCPI) will maintain an open enrollment application process until training capacity is reached. The National Drug Court Institute will deliver five-day training programs for eligible jurisdictions that are planning to develop an adult drug court.

Geography & Public Safety
Read the October 2008 edition of Geography & Public Safety .The articles in this edition include: “Foreclosures and Crime: A Geographical Perspective,” “Using Maps of Home Foreclosures to Understand National and Local Problems,” and “Breaking New Windows—Examining the Subprime Mortgage Crisis Using the Broken Windows Theory.”

Law Enforcement and People with Mental Illnesses Webinar
The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare and the Council of State Governments Justice Center, with support from BJA, will host a webinar on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at 2:00 pm EST. National experts in law enforcement and mental health will discuss effective crisis response models. Registration is free but is limited to the first 1,000 registrants. To register, go to www2.eventsvc.com/nationalcouncil, select the law enforcement/mental health event, and enter the coupon code COUNCIL at checkout.

NMVTIS Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has published a notice of proposed rulemaking for the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), a DOJ system designed to allow states to share vehicle title information to prevent theft and fraud and to allow consumers and others to access information on the histories of vehicles they are considering purchasing. For more information on NMVTIS, visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/nmvtis.html.

Public Safety Information Sharing with NIEM
The National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) enables government and industry partners to address the need for timely, accurate, and complete information sharing. NIEM provides a mechanism to define data exchange standards for information that is commonly shared across the justice, public safety, emergency management, intelligence, and homeland security communities. The standards derive from real, operational needs, and promote common utilization for adoption and reuse, saving time and effort while reaping the benefits of standards-based information sharing. NIEM also supports sharing of information between partners who are traditionally divided by separate standards development activities and funding streams, but have a critical need to collaborate to respond to emerging threats, combat crime and improve the administration of justice, and ensure the ongoing safety of citizens. For more information, visit www.niem.gov, where you can also sign up to receive more NIEM information via e-mail, including NIEM News.

GMS On-line Training Tool Available
The OJP Grants Management System (GMS) On-line Training Tool assists grantees in administering their awards through the GMS. The online tool provides step-by-step instructions to complete various functions within GMS, as well as the administrative policies associated with Grant Adjustment Notices, Progress Reporting, and Closeouts.

Pandemic Influenza
BJA has developed an online information resource on Preparing the Justice System for a Pandemic Influenza and Other Public Health Emergencies. Resources recently added include two guideline documents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Emergency Medical Services. Also visit www.pandemicflu.gov.

Police Executive Fellowship Program (PEFP)
As a state or local law enforcement official, are you looking for a professional management and leadership opportunity at the Department of Justice? BJA and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are seeking leaders from state and local law enforcement to serve on rotational assignments at both BJA and ATF to assist with federal law enforcement policy, operations, and training that will subsequently benefit state and/or local agencies. (PEFP Fact Sheet)

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