The Justice Department has picked four places to share nearly $300 million in federal money to fight violent crime, according to Fox News and a department release. The money comes through its Model Cities Initiative, which the department announced in June 2026.

The release names Jacksonville, Florida, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, Jackson, Mississippi, and St. Louis, Missouri. Fox News describes the Louisiana pick as Baton Rouge. The four were chosen from nearly 50 applicants, Fox News reports.

"These cities are setting an example of proactive law enforcement," Attorney General Todd Blanche said in the release. Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said nonfatal violent crime fell 25% from 2024 to 2025.

The money can pay for new officers and staff, technology, equipment, forensic work, and mental health and drug treatment services, the release says. The department will work with each city to finish its safety plan.

Fox News says the department has not said how the money will be divided. Each award could reach tens of millions of dollars, the outlet reports. Jacksonville has seen murders fall sharply in recent years. The Baton Rouge Police Department was about 150 officers short earlier this year, Fox News reports.

St. Louis budgeted about $147 million for its police department this fiscal year, Fox News reports, while Jacksonville spends about $674 million a year on its sheriff's office. In Jackson, the department says officials proposed a technology-driven plan.

What we know: Four places were picked to share nearly $300 million in crime-fighting money.
What we don't: How much each will get, and no second outlet has confirmed the details beyond Fox News and the release.