Criminal Justice

The Criminal Justice Liaison represents the County in public safety, criminal justice, mental health, and substance abuse issues to ensure the County’s interests are represented. By collaborating with stakeholders and the community, this office has created, enhanced, and sustained crime reduction projects.

The Criminal Justice Liaison:

• Advocates for crime prevention, diversion and intervention
• Directs and coordinates criminal justice programs related to:
  • Alternatives to incarceration, breaking the cycle of incarceration, mental health, substance abuse prevention, crime prevention, gang prevention, and violence prevention
• Manages state mandated pre-disposition detention costs and other reimbursements such as State Criminal Alien’s Assistance Program
• Receives and manages grants
• Builds community consensus and partnerships for projects

Justice Assistance Grants

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program is administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The JAG Program provides states and local governments with funding to support program areas such as:

• Corrections
• Crime victim and witness initiatives
• Drug enforcement and treatment
• Law enforcement
• Planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs
• Prosecution and court programs
• Prevention and education

Hillsborough County Children’s Services

• Lake Magdalene Campus Security to provide enhanced security to protect dependent and delinquent youth while in respite or alternative placements

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office 

• Local Integrated Fingerprint and Mug Shot System replacement to improve technology to enhance crime reduction
• Targetry Range System upgrade in order to maintain State Certification
• Security camera enhancements and expansion for neighborhoods

Hillsborough County Code Enforcement

• Funding for law enforcement liaisons who perform field inspection duties to enforce compliance with County codes and criminal laws, resulting in crime prevention and crime reduction.

Hillsborough County Medical Examiner

• Funding for the specialized training of a forensic pathology fellow to help address the shortage of forensic pathologists and reduce the impact on the criminal justice system. This is a criminal justice training position in which a physician receives additional training in forensic pathology with the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner.

Looking Ahead / Jail Re-Entry

• Funding to support ongoing re-entry services for individuals returning to their community from prison and jail. The project will expand current initiatives in Hillsborough County to increase public safety, reduce criminal justice expenses, and improve the accountability and effectiveness of treatment services for ex-felons at risk of re-entering the criminal justice system.

Community Anti-Gang Expansion and Enhancement 

The program prevents youth from further criminal justice involvement, intervenes for those involved with gangs, and enforces consequences for gang activity to build a safer community and help youth and their families in living healthy, productive lives.

COPS Grant (Community Oriented Policing Services)

The COPS Methamphetamine Initiative is congressionally earmarked funding for methamphetamine enforcement and cleanup.

• Funding for a Code Enforcement Officer/Law Enforcement Liaison who will work with local law enforcement and identify sites for inspections for meth activities and intelligence gathering
• Funding for a variety of prevention and intervention activities, as well as community education