(Washington, DC) Today, Congressman John Yarmuth (KY-3) announced that Louisville will receive $838,217 from the Department of Justice for local crime prevention programs through Project Safe Neighborhoods and the Byrne-JAG Program, which will help fund the Louisville Metro and Shively police departments.

“This funding will go a long way toward keeping our community safe,” Congressman Yarmuth said.  “These are the programs that give Louisville law enforcement the tools they need to resolve crime and ensure that our community remains a great place to live and raise a family.”

The Byrne-JAG program will provide Shively with $12,654 to enforce traffic safety laws on Dixie Highway and LMPD with $483,058 for in-car video camera systems and reentry services for persons released from prison.  Byrne-JAG awards grants to help communities prevent and control crime based on their local needs and conditions.  Earlier this year, Yarmuth successfully fought to prevent at a 50 percent cut to the program’s overall budget.

Louisville will also receive $342,505 from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) to crackdown on illegal firearms through Kentucky’s Project Backfire and will help fund Kentucky’s Anti-Gang Initiative.  The funds will allow the programs to hire coordinators and specialist to better enforce the laws and support initiatives that address the needs of at risk youth before they turn to serious crime.

By linking existing local programs together and providing local law enforcement with the necessary tools, PSN takes a hard line against gun criminals nationwide, using every available means to create safer neighborhoods; works for heightened coordination among federal, state, and local law enforcement; and emphasizes tactical intelligence gathering, more aggressive prosecutions, and enhanced accountability through performance measures.