The Trump administration has awarded the city of Jackson, Mississippi, a Department of Justice grant under its new Model Cities Initiative, a program that requires cities to cooperate with certain Trump administration priorities, including immigration enforcement and a ban on sleeping in public. The Jackson Police Department applied for up to $125 million over three years, and the city council must now vote on whether to accept the funds.
The program has already proved controversial in other Democratic-led cities, including Charlotte and New Orleans. Jackson, which has some of the highest homicide rates in the nation and has dealt with recent budget cuts, is one of four cities to receive the grant, alongside Baton Rouge, St. Louis and Jacksonville, Florida.
At least one city council member has voiced support for accepting the grant. Ward 2 Council Member Tina Clay told Mississippi Today she hopes the city gets the money. "I'm not concerned about anything other than them (JPD) solving crimes and reducing the crime rate," she said. "I don't care what style they use as long as it's legal and ethical, and they get the results we need."
Unlike other federal law enforcement grants, the Model Cities Initiative will be administered through a "cooperative agreement," giving the DOJ a more active role in implementation. The city's application was supported by letters from state and local law enforcement officials, including Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch.
Mayor John Horhn supported the application, writing in a letter that the city had seen "meaningful reductions in homicides and violent crimes." According to Mississippi Today, that claim was inaccurate. WLBT's Homicide Tracker showed that Jackson had recorded 32 homicides by the date of the letter, equal to the number it had recorded by that date the previous year, and that homicides had outpaced last year's by the date on the letter submitted to the federal government. Horhn said he was not aware of the inaccuracy until a reporter brought it to his attention.
JPD has proposed using the grant to create a specialized gun-crimes unit focused on repeat shooters, expand its network of cameras housed at the Real Time Command Center, and create a database linking 911 calls to addresses for code enforcement complaints.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The DOJ is leveraging federal grant money to enforce immigration policy at the local level, testing the limits of city autonomy.
- Jackson's struggle between high crime, budget cuts, and federal conditions represents a dilemma for other cities facing similar pressure.
- The city council's vote will signal whether this model of federal grant-making can succeed in Democratic-led jurisdictions.
Background
The Model Cities Initiative is a Trump administration Department of Justice grant program designed to reward cities that cooperate with federal immigration enforcement and adopt specific social policies. Jackson has persistently high homicide rates, and its police department has seen its budget reduced by the city council.
Key Perspectives
- Council Member Tina Clay: The city needs the money, and the conditions are secondary to solving crime.
- Mayor John Horhn: Supports accepting the grant, stating police have reduced crime, though data did not support his claim.
- Other Democratic-led cities (Charlotte, New Orleans): Have rejected or opposed the program due to the attached conditions.
What to Watch
- The city council's vote on whether to accept the grant.
- Whether other Democratic-led cities join or challenge the program.
- The impact on crime statistics in Jackson if the funds are approved.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe Trump administration awarded Jackson a Model Cities Initiative grant.Mississippi Today: “The Trump administration announced Friday that it has awarded its new Model Cities Initiative grant to Mississippi’s capital city and three others.”
- SupportedThe initiative has proved controversial in other Democratic-led cities, including Charlotte and New Orleans.Mississippi Today: “The new initiative has proved controversial in other Democratic-led cities, including Charlotte and New Orleans, as the grant requires municipalities to cooperate with certain Trump administration priorities”
- SupportedA Jackson council member says JPD needs the money too much to turn down the grant.Mississippi Today: “But in Jackson, which has some of the highest homicide rates in the nation and recently dealt with budget cuts, at least one council member said that JPD needs the money too much to turn the grant down.”
- SupportedThe grant requires cities to cooperate with administration priorities including immigration enforcement and a ban on sleeping in public.Mississippi Today: “the grant requires municipalities to cooperate with certain Trump administration priorities, including immigration enforcement and a ban on people sleeping in public.”
- SupportedJPD applied for up to $125 million over three years.Mississippi Today: “The Jackson Police Department had applied for an award of up to $125 million over three years.”
- SupportedThe city council must vote on whether to accept the money.Mississippi Today: “Next, the Jackson City Council will have to vote whether to accept the money.”
- SupportedJackson is to receive the grant alongside Baton Rouge, St. Louis and Jacksonville, Florida.Mississippi Today: “Jackson is poised to receive the grant alongside Baton Rouge, St. Louis and Jacksonville, Florida.”
- SupportedTina Clay said, “I'm not concerned about anything other than them (JPD) solving crimes and reducing the crime rate.”Mississippi Today: ““I’m not concerned about anything other than them (JPD) solving crimes and reducing the crime rate,” she added.”
- SupportedTina Clay said, “I don't care what style they use as long as it's legal and ethical, and they get the results we need.”Mississippi Today: ““I don’t care what style they use as long as it’s legal and ethical, and they get the results we need.””
- SupportedThe initiative will be administered through a cooperative agreement, giving the DOJ a more active role in implementation.Mississippi Today: “Unlike other federal law enforcement grants, the Model Cities Initiative will be administered through a “cooperative agreement,” giving the DOJ a more active role in implementation.”
- SupportedHorhn wrote that Jackson had seen “meaningful reductions in homicides and violent crimes,” a claim Mississippi Today described as inaccurate.Mississippi Today: ““Under the leadership of Chief Brackney and the dedicated men and women of the Jackson Police Department, we have seen meaningful reductions in homicides and violent crimes,” Horhn wrote. The letter presented to the City Council was dated June 10. On that day, WLBT’s Homicide Tracker showed that Jackson had seen 32 homicides”
- Partly supportedWLBT’s tracker showed 32 homicides by the date of Horhn’s letter, equal to the number by that date the previous year.Mississippi Today: “The letter presented to the City Council was dated June 10. On that day, WLBT’s Homicide Tracker showed that Jackson had seen 32 homicides, equal to the number it had seen by that date last year. By Aug. 3, the date on the letter”