EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, Louisiana — The Justice Department announced more than $63.5 million for East Baton Rouge Parish public safety in a November 5, 2026 release about its Model Cities Initiative. The department said the award was made the previous day.
According to the DOJ announcement, the parish's proposal combines law enforcement, local government and community organizations. The department highlighted plans to expand investigative and prosecution capacity, modernize crime data and analytics, and strengthen frontline support.
What the funding can support
DOJ described several funding priorities across the initiative, rather than a parish-by-parish spending breakdown:
- Hiring sworn and non-sworn law enforcement personnel and other staff supporting enforcement and prosecution.
- Adopting technology, purchasing or leasing equipment, and expanding forensic capabilities.
- Providing services addressing mental health, substance use and recidivism.
The department said it will work with each participating jurisdiction to finalize and implement its public safety plan. Those initiative-wide priorities should not be read as a finalized allocation for every category in East Baton Rouge.
Local plans, not results yet
In the release, East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards described the award as a three-year grant. That is the local official's description of its duration, not a claim that the planned work has already been completed.
DOJ also named Jacksonville, Florida; Jackson, Mississippi; and St. Louis, Missouri, as selected jurisdictions. Its announcement describes intended investments and coordination among public safety partners; it does not establish that this new funding has already reduced crime.
Source and date note: This report covers the November 5, 2026 DOJ announcement. The award itself was described as occurring the previous day. Funding uses above are attributed to DOJ; the three-year description is attributed to Edwards in that release.