PUBLIC NOTICE - Fiscal Year 2025 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program
The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program (42 U.S.C. 3751(a)) is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions. The JAG Program provides states and units of local governments with critical funding necessary to support a range of program areas. JAG funds may be used for local initiatives such as additional personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, training, technical assistance and information systems for criminal justice, including any one or more of the following:
- Law enforcement programs.
- Prosecution and court programs
- Prevention and education programs.
- Corrections and community corrections programs.
- Drug treatment and enforcement programs.
- Planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs.
- Crime victim and witness programs (other than compensation).
- Mental health programs and related law enforcement and corrections programs.
The Department of Justice requires that the applicant agency accepts certain Certifications and Assurances. These Certifications and Assurances include, but are not limited to the following three items which are summarized as follows: 1) JAG funds may not be used to supplant state or local funds but must be used to increase the amounts of such funds, that would, in the absence of federal funds, be made available for law enforcement activities; 2) The application must be made available for review by the governing body; and, 3) The application must be made public and an opportunity to comment on the application provided to citizens. In addition, the City is required to certify that it complies with prohibitions on certain actions regarding information regarding citizenship and immigration status and complies with 8 U.S.C. §§ 1373 & 1644.
As such, the purpose of this public notice is to make information regarding the City of Miami Beach’s Fiscal Year 2026 JAG application available to the public.
Please submit Comments regarding the use of this grant to: allisonnovack@miamibeachfl.gov. Application information is available below.
Application Summary:
The City of Miami Beach is requesting $68,328 to purchase a long-range acoustic device (LRAD) for the Miami Beach Police Department’s (MBPD) Rapid Intervention Team to respond to public safety emergencies.
With this grant funding, the City will purchase a portable, high-capacity public address system to enhance its Police Department’s ability to communicate critical information during emergencies, large-scale events, crowd-management situations, and other public safety incidents.
As a high-density coastal community that hosts major special events, large gatherings, and significant numbers of residents and visitors, Miami Beach requires reliable communication capabilities that can be rapidly deployed wherever public safety needs arise. The proposed public address system will provide Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD) officers, and specifically the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) with a clear, amplified means of delivering emergency notifications, evacuation instructions, traffic and crowd-management directions, and other time-sensitive information to large groups of people. The system will be particularly valuable in environments where conventional communications, including handheld radios or individual officer verbal commands, cannot effectively reach the public due to crowd size, distance, background noise, or other environmental conditions.
Funding this equipment will strengthen MBPD’s emergency preparedness and response capabilities by providing a flexible communication resource that can be deployed at planned events as well as rapidly evolving incidents. The system will support coordinated operations among law enforcement, emergency management, fire-rescue, and other public safety partners while improving the Department’s ability to provide timely, consistent, and actionable information directly to the public.
This investment will enhance officer effectiveness, improve public safety, and support MBPD’s commitment to protecting residents, visitors, businesses, and the community during both routine operations and critical incidents.
