MONTGOMERY— Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded $219,764 in grants to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to help law enforcement officers verify that sex offenders are complying with requirements and to transition to a crime reporting system that provides more comprehensive details.
ALEA is using a $168,975 grant for a federally mandated sexual offender registration and residency program. Sexual offenders must register when convicted and must report where they live. Funds will help law enforcement officers verify that sex offenders are complying with those requirements. The program collects, and shares information related to criminal activity with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. The program also assists local police departments with investigations.
The agency is using a $50,789 grant to transition to a more comprehensive crime reporting system by a federally mandated 2021 deadline. The new system will provide more detail about crimes like type of weapons used and characteristics about the location of crime, such as if it occurred in a rural or urban area.
“Protecting communities from sexual predators and reporting accurate records of crime statistics are high priorities for all law enforcement in Alabama,” Gov. Ivey said. “I commend ALEA for its commitment to making sure it stays in compliance with federal laws and working to close cases on known offenders.”
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Justice. ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, infrastructure upgrades, recreation, energy conservation, water resources, job training and career development.
“ADECA joins Gov. Ivey in supporting ALEA’s efforts to protect our communities from sexual predators and to make it easier for law enforcement agencies to share vital information with each other,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said.
Gov. Ivey notified Hal Taylor, ALEA secretary, that the grants had been approved.
--30--
Contact: Russell Sellers, Mike Presley