President Barack Obama recently announced that he’s allocating $2 billion through the U.S. Justice Department to increase state and local law enforcement and criminal justice programs.

The federal funds will be used to assign more police officers to communities, more prosecutors and probation officers; more radios and equipment; more help for crime victims and more crime prevention programs for youth.

The Justice Department, headed by Attorney General Eric Holder, will also support drug and gang task forces; crime prevention and domestic violence programs.

"This funding is key to helping our states and local governments fight crime and keep our streets safe," Holder said in a statement. "The Department of Justice is moving ahead of schedule to allocate these resources so we can retain police officers, enhance law enforcement capabilities, and ensure that we have the tools and equipment necessary to build safer communities."

According to the Justice Department, here are other examples of how the money will be used:

The New Jersey State Police is looking to hire crime analysts for its all-crimes all-hazards Fusion Center. This will allow the State Police to keep sworn officers on the street and to develop tactical approaches for fighting gun and drug trafficking, as well as gang violence and terrorism threats. The analysts are the backbone of the Fusion Center, and their work supports the troopers, as well as 500 local chiefs and sheriffs.

Source: www.blackamericaweb.com