The Sheriff's Office is one of four agencies to share nearly $300 million in federal crime-fighting money. Jacksonville's share has not been announced.

The U.S. Department of Justice has picked Jacksonville as one of four places to share nearly $300 million in federal money to fight violent crime. The department announced the awards Friday.

The money will go to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office through the department’s new Model Cities Initiative. The other three are East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and St. Louis. That is according to the Justice Department’s announcement of Oct. 30.

Neither the Justice Department nor the Sheriff’s Office has said how much of the money comes to Jacksonville.

Who gets the money

The Justice Department named the agency it is funding in each place:

Place Agency funded
Jacksonville Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office
Baton Rouge, Louisiana East Baton Rouge Parish
Jackson, Mississippi City of Jackson
St. Louis St. Louis Police Department

The department said it will work with each place “to finalize and implement its public safety plan.” Attorney General Todd Blanche will visit all four in November to present the awards, the department said.

What the money can pay for

The Justice Department listed the priorities the funding will support:

  • hiring sworn officers and civilian staff for enforcement, prosecution and related work
  • new and improved technology
  • buying or leasing equipment
  • more forensic capacity
  • mental health and substance use services, and programs to cut reoffending

When it launched the program in June, the department said cities could also spend the money on real-time crime centers, body-worn cameras, license plate readers, victim services and youth crime prevention. Those uses are in its June 3 announcement. That release said two to four cities would be chosen. Local governments serving at least 100,000 people could apply, and proposals were due Sept. 1.

What the Sheriff’s Office says it will do

The Sheriff’s Office said it will work with federal partners “over multiple years.” It plans to expand forensic work, deploy new technology and grow programs it says are already working. Its release did not list specific projects, hires or a timeline.

“This generational investment will allow us to build on our success, strengthen our investigative capabilities, and give our men and women the technology and resources they need to stay a step ahead of criminals,” Sheriff T.K. Waters said in the release.

The Sheriff’s Office credited the selection to a drop in violent crime and homicides under Waters. It said the money will also help it support other law enforcement agencies across Northeast Florida.

What it means for you

Nothing changes on Jacksonville’s streets yet. The Sheriff’s Office still has to finalize its plan with the Justice Department. The two things to watch are how much money Jacksonville receives and what it is spent on. Neither has been published.

We will update this story when the award amount and the plan are public. For the department’s published arrests and incidents, see our Police and Fire log.