The city of Kissimmee and Osceola County will collectively receive more than $90,000 from the U.S. government to use toward public safety efforts.
The Department of Justice announced that it has awarded more than $376 million in grant funding to enhance state, local and tribal law enforcement operations and reinforce public safety efforts in jurisdictions across the United States. $14,444,949 will support public safety activities in the Middle District of Florida. The awards were made by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
The city of Kissimmee was awarded $31,446, while the Osceola County Board of County Commissioners received $58,925.
“Crime and violence hold families, friends and neighborhoods hostage, and they rip communities apart,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These programs help restore the health and safety of crime-ravaged communities by supporting prevention activities, aiding in the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators, facilitating appropriate sentencing and adjudication, and providing communities and their residents the means for recovery and healing.”
The awards 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.
“We are confident that our public safety and community partners will utilize these additional resources in the most effective manner possible,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “Coupled with various lessons learned, innovative ideas, and a commitment to reduce crime at every turn, we intend to make our communities safer places to live, work and play.”
