The U.S. Department of Justice awarded a $356,196 grant to the 4th Judicial Circuit to hire a special prosecutor for federal firearms cases originating in Clay, Duval and Nassau counties.
The grant to the State Attorney’s Office for the 4th Judicial Circuit will support the hiring of a full-time local prosecutor assigned to try firearms cases in federal court.
“We remain committed to addressing the violent gun crime plaguing our community and are grateful for this opportunity to expand our partnership in this public safety effort,” said State Attorney for the 4th Judicial Circuit Melissa Nelson in a news release.
The award supports violence reduction efforts as part of Operation Legend and other federal law enforcement initiatives in cities across the country.
The Department of Justice launched Operation Legend in July, after the murder of 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept in his Kansas City home.
The initiative was expanded to Albuquerque, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Memphis, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Indianapolis.
Since the summer launch, officials in Operation Legend sites have made more than 5,500 arrests, including 276 for homicide, and seized more than 2,000 firearms.
Of more than 5,500 people arrested, more than 1,100 were charged with federal offenses. More than 600 of those defendants were charged with firearms offenses.
The federal Office of Justice Programs is making up to $5.3 million available in grants to support Operation Legend sites nationwide.
More information about the program and its components can be found at ojp.gov.
