[Video] Attorney General Blanche to Present Model Cities Award in Jacksonville Today, Local Amount to Be Announced
The U.S. Department of Justice is scheduled to hold a press conference at 12:00 p.m. ET today (November 6) in Jacksonville, Florida, where Attorney General Todd Blanche, following the Department's previously announced tour schedule, will present a Model Cities Initiative award and announce Jacksonville's specific funding amount. The Department's official YouTube channel has the event scheduled as a full livestream.
The Model Cities Initiative, launched by the Justice Department in June 2026, directs nearly $300 million in federal funding to selected cities with significant public safety challenges and strong interagency plans, supporting the hiring of law enforcement and prosecution personnel, new technology and equipment, enhanced forensic capacity, and services addressing mental health and substance use to reduce recidivism. On October 30, the Department announced four selections from nearly 50 applicants: Jacksonville, Florida; East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and St. Louis, Missouri. In Jacksonville, the funded agency is the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO).
Jacksonville is the second stop on Blanche's four-city award tour. On November 5, the Department announced that the first stop, East Baton Rouge Parish, received $63,532,285 (about $63.5 million). The Department said Blanche would visit each of the four jurisdictions in November to present the awards and reveal each locality's amount; Jacksonville's figure will be unveiled at today's press conference, with Jackson and St. Louis still to come.
In Jacksonville, Sheriff T.K. Waters called the selection "a tremendous honor for Jacksonville and a testament to the progress we have made together in public safety." According to Jacksonville Sheriff's Office figures, the city recorded 59 murders in 2024, its lowest total since at least 1995 and less than half the number recorded a year earlier. The JSO has said the funding is expected to expand its forensic, investigative and technology capacity, with local spending details and timelines to be announced in the coming weeks.
Under the Department's plan, the four jurisdictions will work with the Justice Department to finalize and implement their public safety plans over a three-year award period. Jacksonville's amount and the key points of its local plan will be as announced at today's press conference.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国司法部大楼（GSM固定图库） / Image: U.S. Department of Justice headquarters (GSM asset library)
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