Massachusetts has been awarded a nearly $120 million slice of a U.S. Department of Justice’s $4.4 billion public safety grant program that aims to, among other initiatives, reduce crimes and expand public access to justice system service.
“Protecting the people of Massachusetts is my highest priority, and the best way to accomplish that goal is to forge close working relationships with our state and local partners. Federal resources like this are invaluable in the support they provide for comprehensive public safety solutions and resources specific to the unique needs of Massachusetts communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua Levy. “By investing in state and local programs, we aim to empower victims, enhance officer safety, strengthen public trust in law enforcement, and ultimately create safer communities across Massachusetts.”
Courtesy / DOJ
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy. (Courtesy / DOJ)
There were a total of 3,700 grants distributed by the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) this fiscal year that Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement would be an investment to “support the victims of crime, support officer safety and wellness, build the public trust in law enforcement essential to public safety, and help make all of our communities safer.”
The grants were awarded in five major categories, listed here in order of total funds: $1.7 billion to “expand access to victim services … that provide trauma-informed and culturally responsive services to victims”; $1 billion toward programs that help “communities tackle the proliferation of gun violence in America”; more than $437 million to “expand access to services among historically underserved and marginalized communities”; more than $418 million to “support research and data collection on a wide range of public safety issues, help maintain timely and accurate criminal history records, and improve the capacity of crime labs and forensic analysts”; and more than $192 million to “improve the fairness and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system.”
Massachusetts’ share of this money comes to $118,366,566, including a new $60 million in grants that the U.S. Attorney’s office says “provides leadership and assistance to local criminal justice programs that improve and reinforce the nation’s criminal justice system” and $34 million “to support crime victim compensation and assistance.”
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