Justice Department Awards Nearly $290 Million to Improve Safety

KANSAS CITY, KAN. ―The Bureau of Justice Assistance, a component under the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, awarded almost $290 million to support state, local, and tribal governments in criminal justice activities to keep American communities safe.

The awards, provided through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, represent the nation's leading source of federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories. For more than 20 years, the JAG program has provided critical funding to support law enforcement's ability to protect the communities they serve, supporting critical needs such as personnel, equipment and supplies, technology, training, information systems for criminal justice or civil proceedings, and other operational priorities. JAG funding also supports a wide range of programs that strengthen crime prevention efforts and enhance the effectiveness of prosecutors, courts, corrections agencies, and services for crime victims and witnesses.

"This funding strengthens our state, local, and tribal partners' ability to address violent crime, support officers on the front lines, and keep our Nation's communities safe," said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. "The JAG Program continues to provide essential resources that help jurisdictions meet today's public safety threats and uphold the rule of law."

In addition to foundational uses of JAG funds, specific areas of emphasis were included to the JAG funding opportunities highlighting and encouraging state and local jurisdictions to join federal law enforcement in addressing the most pressing public safety challenges. For Fiscal Year 2025, these areas of emphasis included combatting violent crime, immigration enforcement, safe communities, and safe houses of worship.

"Having prosecuted at the state, county, and municipal levels, I understand that local police departments and sheriffs' offices are at the ground level when it comes to investigating crime, making arrests, and keeping our communities safe," said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. "These grant awards are the Department of Justice's way of saying we not only appreciate their great work, but we also want to support their efforts and increase their chances of success."

Some of the recipients in Kansas include:

• City of Topeka - $113,416 to purchase 12 in-car radios for new patrol vehicles and staff training. The funds will purchase analysis software that maps where crimes occur giving officers an investigative tools to combat crime in the community.
• Unified Government of Wyandotte County - $81,730 for the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department to maintain a virtual-reality de-escalation training program for patrol officers and to acquire a utility terrain vehicle to be utilized during major sporting and festival events.
• Sedgwick County - $444,468 to improve the local criminal justice system. The funds will be used to upgrade equipment like touchscreen laptops for in-court use and replace equipment like expired ballistic vests. Recipients will buy tactical and security-related equipment, including a pole camera, electronic control devices, ballistic shield, launcher, and AI detection software.
• City of Olathe - $104,640 to help police departments in Olathe, Lenexa, Overland Park, and Shawnee reduce violent crime. Lenexa will buy electric bicycles, Olathe will purchase less-lethal launchers, Overland Park will buy a mobile safety monitoring trailer, and Shawnee will purchase pedestrian barriers.
• City of Leavenworth - $26,394 for the city police department to purchase a new Livescan fingerprinting system and for the Leavenworth County Sheriff's Office to pay for a maintenance contract for a body scanner at the county jail.
• Riley County - $19,908 to pay for body worn cameras for corrections employees. The cameras will document interactions with inmates to be reviewed in complaints of alleged abuse of excessive force.
• City of Junction City - $18,553 was awarded jointly to Junction City and Geary County. The Junction City Police Department received $12,369, and the Geary County Sheriff's Office received $6,184. The money is for a project that enhances officer wellness, communication systems, and operational readiness.
• City of Salina - $22,748 is for the Salina Police Department to purchase an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to be used for public safety purposes.
• City of Lawrence - $34,202 will upgrade the police department's ability to collect, analyze, and securely store digital evidence which will help protect evidence integrity.

BJA awarded more than $199 million in state JAG funding across 56 awards and more than $90 million in local JAG funding across 895 awards.

Examples of initiatives supported by these grants include:

• Providing specialized training to strengthen the prevention, detection, and response to human trafficking and to enhance proactive crime reduction efforts through improved officer readiness and increased patrol capacity.
• Enhancing local crime fighting efforts by integrating innovative technology, training, and equipment, and using comprehensive crime data analysis to guide decision making, measure performance, and strengthen strategies addressing violent crime and other public safety issues.
• Strengthening enforcement efforts by supporting investigations related to gang activity and narcotics through targeted operations carried out by specialized units.
• Improving officer safety and readiness by replacing outdated ballistic helmets with modern protective equipment used during high risk incidents, tactical operations, active threat responses, warrant service, civil disturbances, and other dangerous calls for service.

All recipients for both state and local JAG awards can be found here.

About the Office of Justice Programs

The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation's capacity to prevent and reduce crime; promote fair and impartial administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices - the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking or SMART Office - can be found at ojp.gov.

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