LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — A number of Lousiana municipalities and agencies received a portion of over $1 million in U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) funds for public safety programs.
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana David Joseph said DOJ has awarded more than $376 million nationwide to help enhance law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts across the U.S.
St. Landry and Lafayette parishes were among the winners of awards from the BJA Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program. Winners included:
- Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office: $72,222
- City of Opelousas: $17,834
- St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office: $13,477
- City of Opelousas: $17,834
- City of Shreveport – $127,686
- City of Bossier City – $39,115
- City of Lake Charles – $44,309
- City of Natchitoches – $15,632
- Ouachita Parish – $127,351
- Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office – $82,155
- Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office – $36,553
- Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement: $3,169,999
Additionally, the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government was awarded $448,500 from the OVC Law Enforcement-Based Victim Specialist Program.
“These public safety grants will give our local, state, and community partners additional resources to assist them in the fight against violent crime,” said Joseph.
The awards announced support an array of crime-fighting initiatives, including the quarter-billion-dollar Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants Program, which funds public safety efforts in 929 state, local and tribal jurisdictions. Funding also supports sex offender registration and notification, law enforcement-based victim services, the testing of sexual assault kits, and programs designed to address youth with sexual behavioral problems. Other awards will focus on wrongful convictions, intellectual property enforcement, innovative prosecution strategies and the safety and effectiveness of corrections systems.
