Crime Reduction Assistance Program -
State Asset Forfeiture Grant (SAFG)
(August 1, 2008)

The Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (CCJJ) would like to take this opportunity to provide an update on the Crime Reduction Assistance Program - State Asset Forfeiture Grant (SAFG).  The SAFG grant program is intended to fund crime prevention and law enforcement activities within specific guidelines set out in UCA §24 1 19.  CCJJ is the legislatively-assigned agency responsible for the collection of state forfeiture funds and the administration of the SAFG grant.  The SAFG grant program is the vehicle used by CCJJ to award funds derived from state forfeitures to the criminal justice system throughout Utah. 

Following a successful state forfeiture, an agency is entitled to recoup legal and investigative costs associated with the case.  Once these costs have been deducted the agency is then required to send a check for the balance of the forfeiture to CCJJ which will immediately be deposited into the Criminal Forfeiture Restricted Account (CFRA).  CCJJ will annually request an appropriation from the Utah State Legislature to draw funds from the CFRA in order to begin the grant process for the following fiscal year.  Once the appropriation is made, the SAFG - Request for Proposals (RFP) will be announced and agencies will be able to apply for a grant. 

SAFG funds are evenly divided three ways offering a grant to the 1) Utah Department of Human Services for drug courts; 2) grants to Utah’s established multi-jurisdictional drug and crime task forces; 3) and the law enforcement competitive grant program.   Law enforcement agencies applying for SAFG funds under the competitive law enforcement program are eligible for fifteen additional points toward the score of their grant application.  Only law enforcement agencies that CCJJ can verify as having deposited state forfeiture checks into the CFRA during the annual collection period of April 1st to March 31st will be awarded additional points.  Other important information on the SAFG program include: 

•    FY 2009 (7/01/20008 to 6/30/2009) is the third year that CCJJ has awarded grants under the SAFG program. 

•    Total state asset forfeiture funds collected in the CFRA since the law went into effect in 2004 is $1,272,003. 

•    As of July 1, 2008 CCJJ has award $1,017,423 in SAFG grants from the CFRA to drug courts, drug task forces and local law enforcement.  Currently the CFRA has a balance of $254,580.  These funds, along with any other deposits into the CFRA through March 31, 2009, will determine the amount of SAFG funds available in FY2010. 

•    CCJJ releases the SAFG grant - RFP each year around April 1st using an email list derived from agencies listed with the Utah Chief’s of Police Association and the Utah Sheriff’s Association.   The RPF and SAFG grant application (when open) are also online at:  www.justice.state.ut.us

•    SAFG Contact:  Richard Ziebarth - (801) 538-1812 -  rziebarth@utah.gov

These downloadable Asset Seizure forms have been provided by our very own Legal Counsel, Lana Taylor.

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