U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe Announces $2.8 Million In Justice Department Grants To Combat Violent Crime

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, today announced $2,870,008 in Department of Justice grants to fight and prevent violent crime. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of more than $458 million in funding to support state, local and tribal law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.

“Violence has absolutely no place in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Keefe. “The Justice Department is committed to protecting the public, and our office continues to partner with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to make our District safer for all of our citizens. I’m pleased to announce that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was awarded almost $3 million to improve the systems of record we rely upon to fully assess and appropriately address potentially violent situations.”

Of the more than $458 million awarded nationwide, OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance made 1,094 grants totaling more than $369 million to support a broad range of initiatives, including efforts in enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, detention and rehabilitation.

OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awarded more than $10 million across 24 jurisdictions to intervene in and suppress youth gang activity as well as $1 million to the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to continue operating the National Gang Center. OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded $7.8 million to fund research and evaluation on the prevention and reduction of violent crime. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics provided more than $69 million to strengthen the quality and accessibility of records within the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement received funding for the following programs:

• National Criminal History Improvement Program - $668,501

• National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP) - $2,201,507

For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.