Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program

The Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS), operating under the Ohio Department of Public Safety, leads the administration of both state and federal criminal justice funding across Ohio. Established as the state’s justice planning and assistance authority, OCJS also provides evaluation services, training resources, and develops best practices to support law enforcement and community safety initiatives. At the direction of Governor Mike DeWine, OCJS oversees the Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program, which was established in 2021 with an initial allocation of $8 million to assist local communities in reducing violent crimes through evidence-based strategies. This grant program targets specific violent offenses categorized by the National Incident-Based Reporting System, including murder, rape (including sodomy and sexual assault with an object), aggravated assault, and robbery. It is intended to fund local-level efforts using proven or promising methods, supporting interventions such as forensic genetic genealogy, multijurisdictional task forces, domestic violence prevention, and broader violent crime prevention strategies. Applicants must apply under one of the designated purpose areas and clearly define their community's crime reduction needs based on state data benchmarks. Funding awards are for a 12-month period, running from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026. There is no cap on requested funding; however, awards are competitive, with average award amounts reported at $64,314.60 and individual awards ranging from $8,500 to $450,000. Funds may be used for a variety of program-related expenses including personnel overtime, equipment (capped at 20% of total budget), training, technical assistance, and analytical support. This is a reimbursement-based program, and recipients must meet quarterly reporting and compliance requirements. Eligible applicants include local law enforcement agencies, with the corresponding township, village, city, or county government serving as the official subrecipient. Proposals must be submitted through the OCJS Online Grants Management System no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on January 8, 2026. Each agency may only submit one application. A voluntary bidders training webinar is scheduled for November 24, 2025 to provide additional guidance on the application process. Applications are reviewed for alignment with program goals, budget accuracy, and responsiveness to the violent crime problem identified. Successful applicants will be notified and must complete pre-award compliance steps electronically. Depending on the nature of the proposed intervention, some grantees may be required or invited to work with a technical assistance provider or research partner for evaluation and implementation support. All projects must demonstrate the use of promising or proven practices and include a plan for sustaining efforts beyond the life of the grant.

Justify budget; apply through unit of government; match evidence-based strategies to violent crime stats; only one application per subrecipient