Department of Justice Awards More Than $29 Million in Public Safety Funding to Northern District of Ohio

The Department of Justice today announced awards of more than $29 million to support public safety efforts in the Northern District of Ohio. The funding from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) will support violent crime reduction, opioid/substance abuse reduction efforts, victim services, transitional housing for domestic violence victims, law enforcement activities, justice mental health, and juvenile justice.

“The Department of Justice is proud to announce funding for the Northern District of Ohio to further reduce violent crime, train judges and prosecutors, and serve victims of crime,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “We applaud U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman for his fine work there, and we are confident that his stewardship of the additional resources will yield tangible results in his community.”

“It was an honor to announce the Department’s awards in and beyond Cleveland today, and to meet with those working on the ground to end domestic and sexual violence,” said Laura L. Rogers, Acting Director of the Office on Violence Against Women. “During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, it is heartening to hear about efforts in Cleveland, including the high risk team’s use of innovative strategies to prevent domestic violence homicides. I am delighted to announce funding for specialized courts, prosecutors, law enforcement, and victims services providers who are working around the clock to protect and bring justice for victims.”

“Community safety and justice is a round-the-clock operation in communities across the country, including the Northern District of Ohio,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. “This is why the Office of Justice Programs is pleased to announce critical grant funding going to the Northern District of Ohio that will support opioid and substance abuse reduction, bolster law enforcement, create specialized courts to handle domestic violence cases, and give over $3 million toward the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative that addresses the growing number of unsubmitted SAKs in law enforcement custody and helps provide resolution for victims when possible.”

OVW Acting Director Rogers made the announcement at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center on Wednesday afternoon along with U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman and Judge Sherrie Miday. Acting Director Rogers also recognized U.S. Attorney Herdman and his work in the Northern District of Ohio. Corresponding with National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Acting Director Rogers and U.S. Attorney Herdman discussed the Department’s work in bolstering law enforcement and providing services in the District that victims need to find safety, stability, and justice.

“These funds will save lives, whether that is expanding a program that identifies the most dangerous abusers, provides emergency shelter to our most vulnerable victims, allows law enforcement to do a better job tracking and sharing crime data, just to name a few,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “These grant awards demonstrate the Justice Department’s commitment to working across the state and country, with jurisdictions large and small, to make our communities safer.”

The awards were made by the three grant-making components of the Department of Justice—OVW, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and the Office of Justice Programs.

A full list of COPS awards is available online at https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants. OJP awards, organized under specific grant programs, are available online at https://ojp.gov/funding/Explore/OJPAwardData.htm. For OVW awards, visit https://www.justice.gov/ovw/awards.

About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services:

The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 130,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.

About the Office of Justice Programs:

The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal justice system. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

About the Office on Violence Against Women:

The Office on Violence Against Women provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.