Baton Rouge Wins $64 Million Federal Crime Grant

The Justice Department selected the city as one of four national Model Cities Initiative awardees, ranking first for its proposal presentation.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in City Hall

Wide view of the Louisiana State Capitol tower rising above live oak trees on a flat lawn under a clear morning sky. — Baton Rouge won a $64 million Justice Department Model Cities Initiative grant, one of four awarded nationally, to fund violent-crime prevention and police recruitment. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Baton Rouge won a $64 million Model Cities Initiative grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, one of only four awards made nationally. The city was ranked first in the nation for its grant proposal presentation.

Why it matters

The grant targets local and violent crime prevention and is designed without immigration enforcement mandates, giving Baton Rouge funding to address public safety priorities directly. It arrives as the city presents a balanced budget that also addresses police and employee compensation.

The $64 million award is one of only four Model Cities Initiative grants made nationally, and the city ranked first for its proposal presentation. The stub does not state how the funds will be distributed across recruitment, technology, and prosecution programs.

The players

Sid Edwards

Mayor-President of Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish, who discussed the grant and budget on radio.

U.S. Department of Justice

The federal agency that administers the Model Cities Initiative grant program and selected Baton Rouge as an awardee.

The details

The grant will support law enforcement recruitment and retention, restore the ShotSpotter system, and fund specialized prosecution units in the District Attorney's office. Mayor-President Sid Edwards discussed the grant and budget updates in a radio appearance.

Mayor-President Sid Edwards discussed grant and budget updates on November 5, 2026.

Political Context

Baton Rouge is one of only four cities selected under the DOJ Model Cities Initiative, a federal program that competitively selects a small number of municipalities for crime-prevention funding. The grant's explicit exclusion of immigration enforcement mandates distinguishes it from some federal public-safety funding tied to such conditions.

The grant will fund law enforcement recruitment, retention, and technology upgrades, including restoring ShotSpotter, which may affect neighborhood crime response in Baton Rouge. Historic pay raises in the proposed budget would apply to Baton Rouge Police Department and city-parish employees.

The takeaway

Federal grants can significantly expand local public-safety capacity, but the details of how Baton Rouge spends the $64 million will determine its effect on crime. Residents can follow Metro Council budget deliberations to see how the funds and pay raises are finalized.