Jackson, Miss. – U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst announced today that the U.S. Department of Justice has awarded grants in the amount of $149,900 to the Cities of Biloxi and Natchez under the DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance Gulf States Regional Law Enforcement Technology Training and Technical Assistance Initiative.

“This money will go a long way in helping our partners fight crime at the local level and keep their citizens safe. I am excited about these awards because it furthers our partnership with our local law enforcement by giving officers and prosecutors more tools to investigate and prosecute the criminal element. These cities and their men and women in law enforcement should be commended for pursuing these grants in order to better their cities,” said U.S. Attorney Hurst.

“The Biloxi Police Department is thrilled to have been awarded this grant. The funds will greatly enhance law enforcement’s ability to conduct investigations using cutting edge technologies,” said Biloxi Police Chief John Miller. “Thanks to our friends at the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst for realizing and supporting the needs of local law enforcement.”

“This is a huge crime-fighting tool that we will have at our disposal that has already proven to be very successful throughout the year of 2019. We had some major reduction in many of the crime categories last year. I would like to think U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and his office’s Project EJECT, Sheriff Travis Patton, and all of the State, federal and local partners,” said Natchez Police Chief Walter Armstrong.

This initiative is an innovative new program designed to provide resources and technology to law enforcement jurisdictions within the five Gulf States (Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) to assist with information and intelligence sharing to reduce crime and illegal drug trafficking.

The grants awarded under this initiative are expected to enhance information and criminal intelligence sharing between local law enforcement agencies and their local fusion centers. Awardees are expected to work toward sharing this type of information with federal and state agencies with the intention to reduce crime.

For more information about this grant or other grant opportunities, contact the Office of Justice Program's Office of Communications at (202) 307-0703 or by visiting https://www.ojp.gov.