The Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) has awarded a grant to the Mount Vernon Police Department as part of efforts to reduce violence against women in Ohio. Local agencies across 46 counties have received similar grants.
According to an OCJS news release, the Mount Vernon Police Department was granted $56,889.83 through the Violence Against Women Act. These grants support local governments and nonprofit community-based organizations in delivering justice and enhancing services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The OCJS awarded a total of 93 grants.
The news release states that OCJS distributed more than $6 million in federal grants throughout the state. The agency managed two competitive grant processes for the federal program. One process invited proposals from law enforcement, victim service providers, prosecutors, and courts statewide. The second program targeted community-based, culturally specific victim service applicants to offer relevant and linguistically tailored services and resources to culturally specific communities.
According to the release, these funds aim to bolster local communities' ability to develop and strengthen effective law enforcement and prosecution strategies against violent crimes targeting women.
The release further indicates that OCJS is a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. Ohio statute designates it as the lead justice planning and assistance office for the state. Annually, it administers millions of dollars in state and federal criminal justice funding while evaluating programs and developing technology, training, and products for criminal justice professionals and communities.
