The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) chose four jurisdictions for a federal public-safety program with nearly $300 million in expected funding, putting local plans at the center of a multiyear effort.
DOJ selected East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; Jacksonville, Florida; and St. Louis, Missouri. DOJ's announcement does not specify each jurisdiction's share.
The FY 2026 funding notice envisioned two to four awards totaling about $300 million, with each cooperative agreement running 36 months. No local match is required. Recipients may use the money to hire personnel, obtain technology or equipment, bolster forensic services, fund mental-health and substance-use support, or reduce repeat offending.
The notice also contains a provision tied to reimbursement if federal law enforcement assists during a future surge in violent crime or public disorder. The terms attached to each award will determine whether a recipient has an obligation to repay costs.
DOJ's announcement described a 25% decline in nonfatal violent crime between 2024 and 2025. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) provides a more specific measure: preliminary National Crime Victimization Survey estimates put the rate of violent crime excluding simple assault at 7.4 per 1,000 people age 12 or older in 2025, down from 9.9 in 2024.
BJS says the figures are preliminary. The agency fully transitioned to a redesigned survey instrument in January 2025 and says its new estimates cannot be compared with legacy National Crime Victimization Survey estimates. BJS expects to release final 2025 estimates in 2027.
DOJ introduced the Model Cities Initiative on June 3 as an effort to bring local officials and partners together to develop public-safety plans. The department's funding notice cited Memphis, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C., as earlier efforts it considered successful. DOJ said it will work with the selected jurisdictions to complete their plans, and Attorney General Todd Blanche plans to visit in November to present the awards.
