U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania issued the following announcement on April 2.
The Department of Justice has announced that it is making $850 million available to help public safety agencies respond to the challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19. 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 these critical funds. The department is moving quickly to make awards, with the goal of having funds available for drawdown within days of the award.
According to U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady, $1,412,067 of the funds will go to these eligible governmental agencies in Western Pennsylvania: the Counties of Allegheny, Blair, Cambria, Erie and Indiana; the Cities of Pittsburgh, Altoona, Erie, Johnstown and McKeesport; as well as Indiana Borough, Wilkinsburg Borough and Penn Hills Township. In addition, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency is eligible for up to $17.6 million in grants that can be distributed to eligible governmental agencies throughout Pennsylvania, including western Pennsylvania.
"The men and women on the front line of this pandemic deserve our deepest appreciation for answering the call to serve regardless of the danger," U.S. Attorney Brady said. "The public safety funds being made available through DOJ’s Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program can be used for the most pressing needs of our state and local partners, including new hiring and overtime pay, training, critical personal protective equipment and supplies, and the medical needs of prisoners."
"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 Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. "We are grateful to the Congress for making these resources available and for the show of support this program represents."
The solicitation, posted by the Bureau of Justice Assistance in the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will remain open for at least 60 days and be extended as 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 supplanting rules.tpd
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