The Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced nearly $300 million in federal funding to four cities to strengthen law enforcement and improve public safety under the Model Cities Initiative.
The DOJ said in an Oct. 30 statement that the cities are St. Louis; Jacksonville, Florida; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Jackson, Mississippi. The initiative provides funds to implement strategies aimed at reducing crime, which can then be replicated nationwide.
According to the DOJ statement, the funds will go to the St. Louis Police Department, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, East Baton Rouge Parish, and the city of Jackson.
The funding will support various law enforcement purposes, including hiring personnel for law enforcement and prosecution, enhancing forensic capabilities, buying equipment, and providing services to address substance use and mental health issues.
The four jurisdictions were selected because their applications for funding “exemplified the innovative, forward-thinking approaches the Department sought through the initiative,” the DOJ said.
The DOJ will now work with each region to finalize and implement a public safety plan. Attorney General Todd Blanche is scheduled to visit these places in November to present the awards.
“The Model Cities Initiative reflects the Trump Administration’s commitment to reducing crime across the country and ensuring the safety of every American,” Blanche said in the statement.
“These cities are setting an example of proactive law enforcement that will strengthen the rule of law and improve public safety in their jurisdictions. As violent crime rates continue to fall to historic lows, the Department of Justice is redoubling our efforts to invest in local communities and keep American families safe.”
According to a DOJ document detailing the model cities program, applicants must ensure that their initiatives align with various department priorities, including directly supporting law enforcement activities such as immigration enforcement operations.
The DOJ said it will not fund any program or activity that violates federal immigration laws or hinders enforcement of those regulations.
In a recent statement, the DOJ said it announced the model cities program in June this year to build on early law enforcement successes in reducing crime in jurisdictions such as Washington and Memphis, Tennessee.
The U.S. Marshals Service said in an Aug. 10 statement that it made more than 16,000 arrests in Washington since launching the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force last year.
An Aug. 11 report from the think tank Council on Criminal Justice shows that homicide crimes in Washington had declined by 41 percent in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year, before launching the task force. Motor vehicle theft, robbery, sexual assault, larceny, and carjacking crimes also declined.
The White House announced on Sept. 15 that more than 12,700 individuals were arrested after the Memphis Safe Task Force launched last year, adding that overall crime in Memphis declined compared with last year.
Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. said in the recent DOJ statement that the Trump administration has made tremendous strides in restoring public safety, with nonfatal violent crime falling by 25 percent between 2024 and 2025.
“The Model Cities Initiative offers an opportunity to build on that progress, empowering these cities to set a new standard for safer communities across America,” Woodward said.
