The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office will share in a nearly $300 million federal crime-fighting investment. The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday, Oct. 30, selected JSO as one of four agencies nationwide for its new Model Cities Initiative.

The DOJ announced the selections through the multiyear program, which pairs federal resources with local law enforcement. Jacksonville joins East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and St. Louis, Missouri.

How much of the nearly $300 million Jacksonville will receive has not been disclosed. The DOJ said Attorney General Todd Blanche will visit the four cities in November to formally present the awards. JSO said specific investments and timelines will follow those November presentations.

The stakes are significant.

Sheriff T.K. Waters called the selection "a tremendous honor for Jacksonville."

"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," Waters said, according to First Coast News.

What the money can fund

The DOJ said funding will support a range of priorities. Eligible investments include hiring law enforcement officers and support personnel, forensic and DNA technology, real-time crime centers, body cameras, license plate readers and artificial intelligence systems. Training, mental health services, victim assistance and youth crime prevention programs also qualify, according to Florida Voice News.

The program requires a "whole-of-city" approach. Local leaders, including mayors, sheriffs and prosecutors, must coordinate public safety strategies and decide how to use the federal resources, according to Florida Voice News.

Through the initiative, JSO said it will work with federal partners to expand forensic capabilities, deploy crime-fighting technology and strengthen investigative operations. Which federal agencies will partner with JSO, and in what capacity, remains unclear, First Coast News reported.

Background on the initiative

The Justice Department announced the Model Cities Initiative in June. The DOJ said it builds on earlier efforts in Memphis, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C.

Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. said nonfatal violent crime declined 25% from 2024 to 2025, progress the initiative aims to extend, according to the DOJ announcement.

Under Waters' leadership, JSO has reported declines in violent crime and homicides, according to the Sheriff's Office. JSO credited a strategy combining proactive enforcement, intervention programs, technology and community partnerships.

Blanche is expected in Jacksonville in November to present the award and meet with local law enforcement officials and community partners, the DOJ said.