BJA FY 19 Innovations in Community-Based Crime Reduction Program | BJA 2019 15364

Opportunity Information: Apply for BJA 2019 15364

The BJA FY 19 Innovations in Community-Based Crime Reduction (ICBR) Program is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), designed to help communities tackle persistent crime problems in very specific places. The program is aimed at neighborhoods or areas experiencing both high levels of crime and concentrated social and economic distress, especially locations that function as crime "hot spots." Its central idea is that public safety improvements are more likely to stick when law enforcement strategies are intentionally combined with community-based prevention, local partnerships, and place-focused interventions rather than relying on enforcement alone.

A major emphasis of this opportunity is supporting DOJ priorities around reducing violent crime, including violence that may be connected to gang activity, and helping jurisdictions that are struggling with drug abuse and the public safety issues that often accompany it. The program also highlights support for law enforcement officers by encouraging approaches that integrate officers into broader community-based crime reduction efforts. In practice, that means pushing applicants to build strategies where police are not operating in isolation, but instead are part of a coordinated plan with residents, service providers, local government, and other stakeholders to reduce violence and disorder in targeted areas.

The grant is offered as a standard grant (not a cooperative agreement) under Funding Opportunity Number BJA-2019-15364 and CFDA 16.817. It falls under several broad activity categories tied to community development and justice-related services, reflecting that the work is expected to cross traditional boundaries between policing, community services, local data analysis, and neighborhood-level problem solving. The program was posted on April 23, 2019, with an original application deadline of June 25, 2019.

In terms of funding levels, the maximum award amount listed is $1,000,000 per award, and BJA anticipated making about 10 awards under this solicitation. While the short description does not spell out required match, project period, or mandatory deliverables, the structure and intent suggest competitive proposals would identify clearly defined target locations, use data to justify why those places were selected, and lay out a practical plan for coordinated enforcement and community-driven prevention that can measurably reduce crime and improve safety conditions.

Eligible applicants cover a wide range of public and nonprofit entities that commonly lead local public safety initiatives. This includes county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, and federally recognized tribal governments. Higher education institutions are also eligible, including both public/state-controlled and private institutions, which can be important partners for data analysis, evaluation, and research support. In addition, nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education) may apply, and the solicitation allows for other eligible applicant types as described in the full opportunity text. Overall, eligibility is broad enough to support different local leadership models, such as a city government leading a multi-agency strategy, a county coordinating across multiple municipalities, a tribe addressing place-based crime challenges on tribal lands, or a nonprofit or university serving as the backbone organization for a community-wide approach.

Taken together, this opportunity is best understood as a place-based crime reduction investment that expects applicants to focus on the highest-need micro-areas, align enforcement with community priorities, and address violent crime and drug-related harms through integrated strategies. The program is positioned for communities that can demonstrate both the severity of the problem in specific hot spots and the readiness to bring partners to the table to implement a coordinated, community-centered plan.

• The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance in the community development, employment, labor and training, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), information and statistics, law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 19 Innovations in Community-Based Crime Reduction Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.817.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 23, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 25, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for BJA 2019 15364

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