COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today announced over $3 million in grant funding to help local law enforcement agencies implement violent crime reduction strategies in their communities.

Forty-eight law enforcement agencies in 27 counties will receive funding through the latest round of the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program. Since the launch of the program in 2021, more than $84 million has been awarded to nearly 200 local law enforcement agencies for targeted programs and enhanced technology that aid in preventing and solving incidents of violent crime.

"The crime reduction strategies funded by this latest round of grants are all focused on protecting residents and making communities safer," said Governor DeWine. "We're proud to support the work of our local law enforcement agencies to use technology and other innovative practices to enhance public safety." 

“By supporting local law enforcement with assistance from new technology and equipment, at the same time we also help our communities to be safer places to live, work, and raise a family,” said Lt.  Governor Jim Tressel.

The $3 million in funding marks the 14th round of the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program. Funding will help agencies pay for investigative overtime costs, new technology to support crime reduction, targeted patrols in high-crime areas, and other initiatives.

The grants are funded through the state’s 2024-2025 operating budget. Agencies receiving grants to implement violent crime reduction strategies as part of this latest round of the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program include:

The Solon Police Department (Cuyahoga County) will receive $68,830.20 to fund a new human trafficking initiative called Operation Gambit that will focus on dismantling trafficking networks, conducting digital forensic investigations, practicing trauma-informed victim care, and implementing community outreach. The grant will pay for overtime costs for digital forensic lab personnel to reduce investigation time and prevent case backlogs. Funding will also support increased digital forensic capabilities to analyze large volumes of mobile device data.

The Garfield Heights Police Department (Cuyahoga County) will receive $450,000 to start a Drone as First Responder program. By using drones to respond to certain calls for service, the city hopes to more efficiently allocate its officers to places where they are needed. Once on scene, the drone would hover and broadcast a video feed of the call for service to the dispatch center to be monitored. Dispatchers can then determine if/what additional resources are needed.

In addition, the following entities will also each receive grants to pay for ongoing public safety services to prevent and investigate violent crime:

• Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office: $24,650
• Martins Ferry Police Department (Belmont County): $20,600
• Middletown Police Department (Butler County): $63,250
• Ross Township Police Department (Butler County): $17,000
• Milford Police Department (Clermont County): $12,000
• Galion Police Department (Crawford County): $12,000
• Brook Park Police Department (Cuyahoga County): $30,000
• Euclid Police Department (Cuyahoga County): $148,166.88
• Independence Police Department (Cuyahoga County): $34,500
• Mayfield Heights Police Department (Cuyahoga County): $75,000
• North Olmsted Police Department (Cuyahoga County): $143,604.40
• Parma Heights Police Department (Cuyahoga County): $21,122.53
• Rocky River Police Department (Cuyahoga County): $241,939
• Perkins Township Police Department (Erie County): $10,651.59
• Sandusky Police Department (Erie County): $25,200
• Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office: $78,000
• Whitehall Division of Police (Franklin County): $18,250
• Gallia County Sheriff’s Office: $30,000
• Geauga County Sheriff’s Office: $12,750
• Greene County Sheriff's Office: $36,736.65
• Springfield Township Police Department (Hamilton County): $12,500
• Jefferson County Sheriff's Office: $38,944
• Steubenville Police Department (Jefferson County): $98,846.79
• Mentor-on-the Lake Police Department (Lake County): $8,500
• Painesville Police Department (Lake County): $10,000
• Willoughby Police Department (Lake County): $18,000
• Willowick Police Department (Lake County): $9,450
• Logan County Sheriff's Office: $40,000
• Elyria Police Department (Lorain County): $65,000
• Lorain Police Department (Lorain County): $20,000
• Metroparks Toledo Rangers (Lucas County): $21,750
• Toledo Police Department (Lucas County): $37,662.64
• Austintown Township Police Department (Mahoning County): $14,278.91
• Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office: $35,000
• Medina County Sheriff's Office: $57,000
• Dayton Police Department (Montgomery County): $400,000
• Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office: $69,033.99
• South Bloomfield Police Department (Pickaway County): $12,000
• Pike County Sheriff’s Office: $25,000
• Mansfield Division of Police (Richland County): $141,424.50
• Alliance Police Department (Stark County): $29,130.59
• Canton Police Department (Stark County): $100,000
• Jackson Township Police Department (Stark County): $32,500
• Akron Police Department (Summit County): $170,950.01
• Barberton Police Department (Summit County): $10,000
• Washington County Sheriff’s Office: $18,250

Other assistance for first responders developed by the DeWine Administration includes the creation of the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, Ohio School Safety Center, Ohio Office of Law Enforcement Recruitment, Ohio Office of First Responder Wellness, Ohio Prisoner Extradition Reimbursement Program, Ohio Body-Worn Camera Program,  Ohio Crime Lab Efficiency Program, Ohio Ballistics Testing Initiative, Ohio First Responder Recruitment, Retention, and Resilience Program, Ohio Court Backlog Reduction Program, Community Violence Prevention Grant Program, and the new eWarrant database.