City of Jackson receives nearly $64 million for public safety initiative

City leaders said the funding will support new programs, expanded patrols, equipment and technology intended to reduce violent crime and improve public safety.

U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said Jackson's leaders had committed to investing in public safety.

“We're here to tell the residents of Jackson that we want to help them. And so is your leadership,” said Blanche. “So is the city leadership standing behind me. They have made a similar commitment to the Department of Justice and investing in public safety.” 

Blanche said more than 8,000 shots were detected in a 1.5-square-mile area of the city from August 2025 to August 2026, an average of about 22 a day. He said the grant will allow the city to buy equipment, expand its workforce and develop programs to help families.

"Our hope is that as we continue to refine this. Model of crime reduction, we can roll out these strategies around the country in more than just four cities,” said Blanche. “This is the one place where we want numbers to go way, way down when it comes to violent crime.”  

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch said the funding would help reduce crime and improve residents' quality of life. She also described her office's partnerships with Jackson on law enforcement training, public safety operations, criminal prosecutions and victim support.

“We’ll now be able to reduce crime, restore law and order, and positively impact the quality of life for the residents here in the city,” said Fitch.  

During the news conference, Jackson Mayor John Horhn referred to a Halloween weekend shooting that killed two students and wounded several others as he discussed the city's need for federal public safety resources.

“I don't know of a better reason than for us to accept these resources from our federal government,” said Horhn. “Our city is dealing with scarce resources, and the need to, I say that we are ideas rich and we're money poor. And so these resources are going to be essential to help us with our public safety, which requires more and more funding.”  

Horhn called the funding a transformative opportunity for Jackson and said it would provide resources for public safety.  

“This is one of the most transformative opportunities for the city of Jackson,” said Horhn. “It's the largest allocation we've ever received from the federal government with the exception of the 600 million which was provided by EPA when our water system broke down four years ago. But other than that this is the largest rent award in the city's history.”  

Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney said the grant would help the department reduce crime and help families feel safer.

Brackney said she looks forward to upgrading the department's technology.  

“We're able to invest into our real time command center and make it a real time public safety center so that we can integrate intelligence 911 and all of the camera footprints that we have so that can respond faster.”  

Brackney said the department has received Justice Department funding before, but this award is nearly twice its $33 million annual budget. 

“A $64 million award over three years, that's basically twice my annual budget in one year,” said Brackney. “So if I have a $33 million budget and they just handed us $64 billion, we are able to support resources, technology, and equipment that the city would not have been able to put into my budget probably ever.” 

Brackney also said the city's crime lab is being converted into a forensic justice center that will use updated technology to help solve cases more quickly.

Two Jackson mothers attended the announcement in support of the initiative. Melody Vaughn's son has been missing for four years. She said a lack of resources and support adds layers of trauma and grief when families do not receive answers from the police department. 

“The city of Jackson needs this grant. To invest in a modern forensic laboratory,” said Vaughn. “It’s about more than technology. It's about people, families, and giving investigation the resources they need to move forward.” 

Vaughn said the crime lab backlog leaves families waiting for answers. She said investments in forensic technology could help investigations move forward more quickly. 

“I cannot change the four years my family has spent waiting for answers. But I hope that what is being done here today will change the experience of another mother and a family tomorrow,” said Vaughn. “No family should have to endure the years of waiting for answers, that technology... And resources may help bring soon” 

Presidential Hills resident Wade Brown listened to the livestream from outside City Hall. He said he and several neighbors learned about the news conference through the Presidential Hills Natchez Trace Homeowners Association.

Brown said he hopes the grant will support programs for young people, including conflict-resolution efforts.  

“Try and get something going on to help with the young ones that's coming up besides them grabbing guns and conflict resolution, something to go on to them help them out,” said Brown. “I know that is tight, but hopefully that this come out and help us.”  

Brown said he hopes the money will be used to upgrade police technology and improve response times. 

Brown also encouraged residents to become more involved in their communities. 

"Let's get part of the community and be part of community actions and go to your homeowners meeting, go to the city council meetings and try to find out what's going on in your local area, but we can do what we need to do to keep our city beautiful and clean. 

Across the street, protesters stood outside the Hinds County circuit clerk's office, chanting, “Don’t interrupt our votes.”

Aleesha Smith of One Voice said the heavy police presence could deter voters seeking to verify their affidavit ballots.

“This heavy police presence, the presence of snipers, is an actual deterrent and it’s a form of voter intimidation,” said Smith. “So, we were out here to help people get in, secure their ballot. That’s why you have the chant of ‘Don’t interrupt our vote.’ Making sure that people know that you have the right to go in. You don’t have to be intimated by this heavy police presence. You need to go and make sure your vote is counted.”  

Protester Nadav Flax said the timing of the Model Cities Initiative announcement, one day before the deadline to verify affidavit ballots, was not accidental.

“Having a police presence like this and making it so difficult to get downtown when it's in really the final hours for people to be able to secure their ballots, I don't view it as an accident,” said Flax. “I view it another way to suppress the vote, and that's why I'm out here. That's why all these people are out here is to make sure that every vote is counted. That our ballots are respected and that the voices of the people are heard.”  

Inside City Hall, Blanche denied a connection between the announcement and the ballot-verification deadline, saying the Model Cities selection process began in June.

“There's no connection between what's happening in Mississippi with respect to recounts or counts and what we're doing today,” said Blanche. “What we're doing today, as I said earlier, is a process that was started in June of this year and ended a few weeks ago when ultimately the decision was made for the four cities to be announced.” 

Jackson is one of four jurisdictions receiving Model Cities Initiative funding, along with East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana; Jacksonville, Florida; and St. Louis.