WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to help law enforcement and criminal justice officials more effectively serve and protect Rhode Islanders, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today announced that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is awarding the Rhode Island Justice Commission's Statistics Analysis Center (SAC) $50,000 to collect and analyze data on law enforcement and criminal justice activities throughout the state. Federal funding will be provided through DOJ's State Justice Statistics program and will be used to research and collect information on traffic stops by law enforcement officers, to monitor compliance of protections for juveniles detained by the state, and to obtain statewide data on death occurring in the process or pursuit of arrest. The SAC will also use the funding to update its website and provide additional data resources and reports. "This federal funding will enhance Rhode Island's ability to collect crime statistics, objectively analyze criminal justice data, and share that information with the public and law enforcement agencies," said Reed, a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, which oversees federal spending on the criminal justice system. "Having accurate statistics can help police track crime trends and effectively allocate resources where they are most needed. It is important we give our law enforcement officers the tools and resources they need to keep our communities safe." The State Justice Statistics Program is run by DOJ's Office of Justice Programs' Bureau of Justice Statistics and provides support to states to establish and maintain the capacity to collect, analyze and report statistics on crime and justice to assist in preventing, apprehending and prosecuting criminals. The funding for this grant comes from the fiscal year 2007 continuing resolution that Reed supported.