Mayor Horhn praises decision. Statement posted below.
Jackson will receive a crime-fighting grant of approximately $125 million from the Justice Department. Fox News announced:
Four U.S. cities will share almost $300 million in federal funding after competing to show how they would reduce violent crime and strengthen local law enforcement. Jacksonville, Florida; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and St. Louis, Missouri, were selected for the Justice Department's new Model Cities Initiative, according to details obtained by Fox News Digital. The four winners represent markedly different policing environments, from Jacksonville, where murders have fallen sharply in recent years, to Baton Rouge, where officials have struggled with a significant officer shortage, and Jackson, where DOJ says officials proposed a technology-driven strategy to combat persistent violent crime. .... Rather than funding a single policing program, the initiative takes what DOJ describes as a "whole-of-city" approach, bringing together law enforcement, local government officials and community partners to develop strategies tailored to each jurisdiction's public safety challenges. The money can be used to hire sworn and non-sworn law enforcement personnel and other public safety workers, purchase technology and equipment, expand forensic capabilities and fund programs addressing mental health, substance abuse and recidivism. Article
The City of Jackson and the Jackson Police Department (JPD) have been selected by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to participate in the Model Cities Initiative (MCI). This selection brings a substantive federal investment over the next three years to implement a data-driven public safety infrastructure designed to position Jackson as "the City that Responds Before it Arrives."
This comprehensive strategy addresses public safety by systematically modernizing infrastructure and addressing the underlying conditions that impact neighborhood stability. Rather than expanding a traditional policing footprint, this initiative pivots Jackson toward a proactive, intelligence-led safety model. The funding is structured to optimize existing resources, fusing advanced forensics, data-driven technology, workforce stabilization, and local community partnerships into a preventative network.
Leadership on the Vision for Jackson
"Reducing violent crime requires a unified effort across every sector of our city," said Mayor John Horhn. "The Model Cities Initiative provides an opportunity to bring our departments, public safety partners, and community organizations together around a common goal: making our neighborhoods safer and improving the quality of life for all residents. We are committed to ensuring that our collective efforts are coordinated, focused, and responsive to the needs of our communities."
Jackson’s participation is focused on preventing violent crime, strengthening local public safety infrastructure, and supporting neighborhood stability. This investment is intended to strengthen the City’s capacity to serve its residents, not to broaden the scope of federal enforcement in our communities. Implementation will remain centered on these defined public safety goals, with an emphasis on community trust and the safety of every resident.
"Public safety requires us to do more than respond to crime after it occurs," said Chief of Police Dr. RaShall Brackney. "We must take a comprehensive approach that addresses the conditions that allow crime to exist while strengthening prevention, intervention, and accountability. The MCI approach gives us an opportunity to work across city government and alongside our community partners to reduce violent crime through coordinated, sustained efforts that produce meaningful results for the people we serve. This initiative focuses on building a modern public safety architecture that protects every resident, moving us toward a proactive, system-wide approach—equipping Jackson with the workforce, infrastructure, and technology required to intercept violence and improve community outcomes."
Operational Infrastructure Upgrades
A cornerstone of this transformation is a comprehensive infrastructure plan designed to address critical operational gaps across the city:
- Jackson Public Safety Forensic, Intelligence, and Justice Center: The city will establish a modern forensic laboratory to replace its severely deteriorated facility. This new local center will build the capacity for rapid DNA, ballistic, and trace evidence analysis, reducing reliance on backlogged state resources and converting evidence into immediate, actionable data.
- Infrastructure & Systems that Work: The initiative fully integrates Jackson’s existing Real-Time Command Center (RTCC), gunshot-detection arrays, and advanced ballistics imaging into a single, cohesive network. This system will directly target high-risk areas to swiftly disrupt gun violence before it spreads.
- A Sustainable Public Safety Workforce: Funding will be deployed to address critical sworn officer vacancies by offering competitive compensation to recruit and retain top talent, while modernizing civilian professional staff roles in intelligence, dispatch, and technical analysis.
- Root-Cause Interventions: The initiative addresses neighborhood conditions by balancing technology with critical support systems, including behavioral health crisis networks, victim advocacy, and holistic reentry programs.
Driven by Results
While national discussions often focus heavily on Jackson’s challenges with neighborhood blight and historical crime statistics, the City’s recent trajectory proves that targeted, intelligence-led strategies yield real results. The Model Cities Initiative provides the foundational infrastructure needed to secure and accelerate these safety gains. By combining advanced forensic science, community-based support, and modernized infrastructure, Jackson is stepping forward as a practical, resilient, and safe model for mid-sized cities nationwide—to become “The City That Responds Before it Arrives.”
About the Model Cities Initiative
The Department of Justice Model Cities Initiative provides targeted funding and strategic capacity support to select mid-sized American cities. The program designs, implements, and evaluates scalable, data-driven public safety systems that reduce violent crime while strengthening local community infrastructure.
44 comments:
The problem is that you continue to send Jackson leadership the same message "Failure will be rewarded. Fail and we will send you a large bucket of money." It happened with the water/sewer, and now with policing. There is zero incentive for the city to work their ass off to do their job in an effective and efficient manner.
Having said all of that, certainly the metro area could benefit from a safer Jackson.
Holy cow. Well this is good news for once. Hopefully it works.
That'll buy a lot of flock cameras.
Is this why the flock cameras are going away?
“Jackson, Mississippi, meanwhile, was selected for what DOJ described as an ambitious, technology-driven strategy to address persistent violent crime.”
Good news? I'm skeptical if it means we pay a bunch of money for some "one size fits all" system or, on the other hand, we "create" a system that requires contracting with a bunch of "John's Friends." We've been here so many times before.
Your majesty, we're counting on you to hold feet to fire.
Don’t get me wrong I think this is HUGE but at the end of the day, the problems will continue because absolutely retarded judges like Winston Kidd and Faye Peterson are letting the thugs back out on the street after a slap on the wrist. Even if JPD was better than the FBI, they are handicapped because of the judges.
Model "Crime" City
This is bass-ackwards. Cities who keep crime down by their own efforts and operational budgets should receive these awards, not vice-versa.
NO! NO! NO! Jackson will just piss it alway!! Give it to Madison and rankin county.
Socrates Garrett Crime Fighting Consulting enters the chat.
Oh snap. This announcement just brought a tear to Chokwe's eye, as a large opportunity to skim belongs to someone else.
There is a common culture causing the crime problems in all the cities receiving the grant. Dr. Chief herself is part of that culture. Nothing about this grant will change that culture. It’s the same as the dept of justice just passing out aspirin for cancer.
Errybody finna eat!
Stopped reading after "rather than expanding a traditional policing footprint".
I wonder what they will spend the money on. Midnight basketball?
We have enough crime without these additional crime subsidies.
Any strings attached?
ugh... you commenters are so damn miserable. I agree with most comments on the total lack of accountability by some Jackson officials and the INSANELY terrible Lumumba administration but when Jackson receives a slither of good news, you formulate it into some negative narrative. Everyone should be hopeful for the damn capital city.. even when you don't live inside of it. I want to be safe when I drive in for my license renewal.. yet some of you disgusting racists get horny over the failure of Jackson and it's laughable
I see the mayor considers it an honor to have received such a grant. If the crime wasn’t so horrendous, the light wouldn’t be so bad hard to keep something up when it’s just plain dangerous.
2:22pm
Awaiting Socrates' new act as a Drag Queen Librarian to squeeze a criminal class sensitivity contract from Dokka Chief and The Horhn.
Well at least now we don't have to hear about JPD not getting any funding and that's why they can't police like Capitol PD does.
@2:07 Don't forget Wooten and Gibbs
Wonderful news. And new COJ PD Chief has great ideas for going after those things that create atmosphere for crime. Address education of young people so that youngsters see life opportunities other than crime.
It’s a moral hazard
Time for the BIG BAD US MARSHALS to come clean some streets like they did in Memphis!
3:10, it is most likely because we have seen this play out over several administrations....
On the contrary, 3:10. Any funds that come to Jackson should be managed by someone NOT in Jackson government. The only way it works is for someone OUTSIDE to manage the funds. Otherwise, its every grifter bellying up to the bar. And I'm not a racist. This has nothing to do with the color of your skin. It has to do with accountability for the money. And the remark about the judges was spot on.
who will have oversight of the actual spending?
3:10pm
Dokka Chief is pulling down Crime busting cameras, The Horhn is blowing tunes to keep the Cartoon Zoo (ie, just paint murals of animals), keep the Airport in a suspended sense of ineptitude, and snatch the Water System from the Jaws of results & responsibility (ie cutoffs).
Yet deserved cynicism about how Jackson burns money for nothin' is
R A C I S T ? ?
Potentially one of the best things to happen in Jackson in decades! However, if they incorporate mottos like “The City That Responds Before it Arrives”, they’ll know that we’re still a community of semi-literate bozos.
"Are we suggesting, that me as a female...."
Might as well put a decent percentage of this grant money into escrow to fund the incoming discrimination lawsuit.
@3:10 - there is a difference between "reality" and "negative narrative". Everyone wants a safe city, but just throwing money at any problem with zero accountability is the same as pissing in the wind.
New luxury SUVs for the brass; more overtime for the chosen ones; "team building" conferences in...Aspen? Ft. Lauderdale? Paris?
We all want good things to happen for Jackson.
However, given the level of incompetence starting with the Harvey Johnson administration and thievery, how can we be hopeful? To-date there's been only a nominal show of prudent leadership and financial management. Let's not even bring up the water crisis. God only knows the looming disaster if Jackson takes over. We will all be fucked! So use these funds wisely with strict accountability and oversight. Bring back Pieter Teeuwissen about the only one in the bunch with integrity. Any JPD manager or leader complaining about long hours and hard work needs to pack up and leave now.
We don't need studies to tell us what's wrong because we already know. Purchase deportation buses and get those trouble makers and savages out of Jackson. Is there any chance some of these funds can be diverted to clean up the overwhelming blight. Don't raise top salaries until we start seeing some results for what's already paid for. Council don't allow friends and lovers of upper management and leadership drain the funds for getaway excursions on the city's tab.
If this news sounds familiar, it’s because Jackson has received all sorts of grant money (millions) in the past for reducing crime. But the needle doesn’t seem to move. The city has received a total of 14 safety and crime fighting grants between 2016 and 2026. In addition to this grant, Jackson in 2021 was awarded funding for the COPS Hiring Program, in 2018 they got money for body-worn cameras, funding from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Grant, and a Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Grant in 2022. I think someone should start asking for accountability regarding these grants, how the money is spent, and whether it is being used effectively.
Root-Cause, holistic, forensic, sustainable, blah blah blah .....
After forty plus years of reading the same nonsensical press release "script" ... one would think this crowd could at least come up with some new words.
3:10 hit a nerve … lol!!!
This will be as effective as the "Real Time Crime Center." Right?
3:10pm
The water leak at the zoo is still gushing moneyed water. Go take a leap in the Monkey Moat and sing hallelujah, be baptized in simian apartheid that skepticism about Jackson governance is just racism.
"Technology Driven Initiatives" will require technical people to operate the equipment technically, as well as technically maintain the technical equipment, two things that COJ consistently fails at.
Madisonites don’t like this
The money no doubt will help in certain areas, but it won't do anything to solve the basic problem - culture rot.
With the federal government running trillion dollar deficits each year, Jackson is actually getting a gift from the Chinese at the expense of our children and grandchildren.
That makes no sense. Crime is under control there.
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