Pennington County, Rapid City and Box Elder will receive a combined total of $521,209 in Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant funding, authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., announced Friday.

Rapid City will receive $412,560, Box Elder $10,762 and Pennington County $97,887 for a range of activities to prevent and control crime.

"I'm pleased with how these funds have been made available quickly to Rapid City, Box Elder and Pennington County and targeted to an area like law enforcement with an immediate and critical need," Herseth Sandlin said in a release.

The Edward Byrne Memorial Grant Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance, helps states and local governments to support activities to prevent and control crime and improve the criminal justice system. JAG funds can be used to benefit state and local initiatives in a variety of ways, including technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies and contractual support.