Riverside County Sheriff Unveils 2026 Justice Assistance Grant Plan: 20 Jurisdictions to Apply Jointly, County to Serve as Fiscal Agent
RIVERSIDE COUNTY — Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California. The Riverside County Sheriff's Office announced its plan for 2026 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funds on Oct. 16: 20 jurisdictions across the county will apply jointly for the federal funding, with the county serving as fiscal agent.
The Sheriff's Office said 2026 marks the county's 13th year as a designated disparate area — a status that applies when multiple cities are individually eligible for direct awards totaling more than four times the county's own award, requiring a joint application through a fiscal agent. The 20 jurisdictions include the cities of Banning, Beaumont, Cathedral City, Coachella, Corona, Desert Hot Springs, Hemet, Indio, Jurupa Valley, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Perris, Riverside, San Jacinto and Temecula, along with the county itself. Each agreed to reallocate 10 percent of its formula allocation to the county, and the Sheriff's Office will use its portion to offset the cost of administering the grant.
JAG funds are awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance under the U.S. Department of Justice based on population and violent-crime data reported to the FBI. No local match is required, and funds must be held in a separate trust fund. Eligible uses include equipment and supplies, retaining key grant-funded personnel, overtime, prosecution and court programs, and corrections initiatives. As fiscal agent, the county prepares reports, reviews project budgets and reimburses jurisdictions after allowable expenditures are verified.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 河滨县警长办公室人员（公共领域图片，via Wikimedia Commons）
