Attorney General Todd Blanche went to Jacksonville on Friday to hand Sheriff T.K. Waters a ceremonial check for more than $73 million. The Justice Department says the money comes from its Model Cities Initiative, a nearly $300 million program to cut violent crime, and that Jacksonville was selected from nearly 50 cities. Florida's Voice reports Blanche said the city was Florida's "murder capital" for nearly 20 years before it lost that nickname in 2024.

The Jacksonville Daily Record reports 47 cities applied, 21 reached the semifinals and 11 were finalists before Jacksonville won alongside Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jackson, Mississippi, and St. Louis. The Daily Record cites sheriff's office statistics showing murders fell from 128 to 79 from 2023 through 2025, a 38% drop.

Waters said the money, awarded over three years, will hire 40 officers, fund drone and counterdrone technology and increase the capacity of the sheriff's firearms ballistics lab, the Daily Record reports. Action News Jax reports Waters said the federal funds will not replace revenue affected by the passage of Amendment 3.

News4JAX reports that Blanche, asked about criticism that the Justice Department is being used for political purposes, said he can defend its work "with proof." In the department's release, Blanche said the program "reflects the Trump Administration’s commitment to reducing crime across the country and ensuring the safety of every American."

The Justice Department's release says Jacksonville stood out for strong partnerships among agencies and a plan to expand law enforcement capacity, strengthen forensics and deploy new crime-fighting technology. The department says murders were not the only numbers that fell from 2023 through 2025. It reports robberies dropped 25% and aggravated assaults 21%. The Daily Record, citing sheriff's office figures, puts robberies at 866 down to 650, aggravated assaults at 5,452 down to 4,295 and forcible sex offenses at 712 down to 611, a 14% drop.

The department announced the Model Cities Initiative in June 2026, saying it wanted to build on early results in Memphis, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C. The department says it will now work with each of the four jurisdictions to finalize and carry out its public safety plan. News4JAX reports Blanche said federal money can cover technology, officers and protective equipment so local budgets can handle other needs. News4JAX also reports he did not say how Jacksonville's grant will be divided.

The ceremony took place at RiversEdge park on the Downtown Southbank, the Daily Record reports. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, U.S. Rep. John Rutherford and State Attorney Melissa Nelson joined Blanche and Waters there. Uthmeier said Jacksonville earned the grant by doing the hard work of keeping people safe, according to the Daily Record. City Council President Nick Howland said safer streets would help the city attract employers and keep jobs.

Jacksonville is one of four jurisdictions sharing nearly $300 million in federal crime-fighting money.

The sheriff's office, not federal officials, decides how the money is spent, Action News Jax reports.

Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said officials will return in one, two and three years to highlight the city's results.