Eastern Kentucky University's Justice and Safety Center has received a $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to work closely with the Center for Rural Development to address issues of interoperability between law enforcement, public safety and "first responder" agencies in Eastern Kentucky and to test prototypes of emerging safety and security technologies for the national justice and safety community.

Fifth District Congressman Hal Rogers, whose efforts were primarily responsible for the grant, formally announced the "interoperability" grant at a news conference Monday, Feb. 3 at the Center for Rural Development in Somerset.

"This grant was awarded to EKU because of its international and national reputation in the area of law enforcement and the ongoing work that the Justice and Safety Center has been doing with the Department of Justice on safety- and security-related technology projects," said Dr. Pam Collins, director of EKU's Justice & Safety Center, which is housed in EKU's College of Justice & Safety. "This pilot project will serve as a model with national implications. More importantly, it has the potential to save lives by improving the communications between first responders."

Rogers secured funding for the programs through his role as a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. Recently, he was selected to head the new Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. As chairman, Rogers is responsible for funding and overseeing the 22 agencies that comprise the new Homeland Security Department, including FEMA, the Transportation Security Administration, Customs Service, and the Coast Guard.

"One of the biggest challenges we face in protecting our people is the inability of law enforcement and other public safety officers to communicate and share information," Rogers said. "This project seeks to tackle that very problem. Once complete, Kentucky State Police and Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement officers in our region will be table to talk directly with each other and access criminal justice data on one common system."

The Center for Rural Development, in Somerset, already had received $22.5 million in federal funding to create a region-wide wireless computer system that provides sheriffs and local police officers with instant access to criminal justice data. The Center already has placed office-based equipment - including desktop computers, printers, scanners and digital cameras - in 110 law enforcement agencies throughout the 42-county Fifth Congressional District. Additionally, more than 500 laptop computers and equipment have been installed in police vehicles across the region.

"This project will leverage off of the work that has already been completed by developing a system where law enforcement, public safety agencies and first responders can communicate
with one another and share information and data," Collins said. "Our role will be to coordinate and oversee program evaluation and work closely with the Center for Rural Development in the creation of an information analysis and fusion center."

Another product of the grant will be the creation of The Public Safety and Security Institute for Technology (PSI TEC), which will be housed in EKU's Justice & Safety Center. The new institute will serve as a national leader for a proof-of-concept and prototype testing of emerging safety and security technologies.

"By establishing a center of excellence that supports the full life cycle of technology, the Institute can engage in the research and development of new and innovative public safety and security technology through testing, evaluation and, ultimately, commercialization," Collins said.

The Institute will:

· Maintain a comprehensive database on public safety and security technology.

· Serve as a clearinghouse for buyers and sellers of existing public safety and security technology.

· Create the infrastructure through its Web-based concept for the introduction and transfer of new public safety and security technologies.

· Match homeland security requirements with existing technologies.

· Serve as a one-stop shop for information on public safety and security technologies.

Both projects will "draw on the strengths" of EKU faculty in several academic disciplines, Collins said, adding that additional opportunities will be generated for graduate assistantships and student employment.

"We take very seriously our mission to serve the region and the Commonwealth," EKU President Joanne Glasser said, "so we're very excited about this grant as well as future opportunities to partner with Congressman Rogers, the Center for Rural Development and others on important quality-of-life projects."

EKU's Justice and Safety Center, established when the University's College of Justice & Safety was designated as a state "Program of Distinction," supports the justice and safety profession through information dissemination, research and evaluation, and technical support.

JSC activities include pilot program evaluation and the identification of commercial off-the-shelf technology for its applicability to law enforcement. The JSC also is the corporate host for the Rural Law Enforcement Technology Center, Hazard, which is a specialty center within the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center system. The Hazard center provides technical assistance and information to small and rural law enforcement agencies nationwide.

Since its inception in 1998, the Justice and Safety Center has now received more than $25 million in federal and state funding for various programs and projects that benefit the state and national justice and safety community.