Governor Abbott Announces Over $500 Million In Public Safety Grants

December 18, 2024 – Austin, Texas – Governor Greg Abbott today announced that his Public Safety Office (PSO) will administer over $500 million in grant funding for a variety of public safety programs and services in Texas, including victims services, anti-human trafficking efforts, border security, and law enforcement support. This grant funding is made possible through a combination of federal and state dollars.

“Ensuring the safety and security of Texans is our top priority in Texas,” said Governor Abbott. “These public safety grants will provide critical funding to strengthen Texas agencies and organizations as they work to secure the border, prevent human trafficking, ensure justice for victims, and protect Texans from dangerous criminals and violence. With this $500 million in grant funding, we will continue to build a safer Texas for all.” 

The grants recently released include, but are not limited to, funding for the following:

• Body-Worn Camera: 98 awards totaling $4.6 million to equip peace officers with body-worn camera systems to document investigative activities.
• Border Fire Zone: 22 awards totaling $3.1 million to assist professional fire departments in the border region with the acquisition of specialized equipment and medical supplies to support emergency services associated with the execution of activities that deter crime in the border region.
• Bullet Resistant Shields: 100 awards totaling $4.9 million to equip peace officers with bullet resistant shields.
• Bullet Resistant Vests: 113 awards totaling $1.8 million to provide peace officers with rifle-resistant body armor to prevent loss of life during tactical and emergency response operations.
• Crime Stoppers Assistance: 33 awards totaling $364,000 to strategically support, expand, and fund local certified Texas Crime Stoppers organizations that help protect Texas communities.
• District Attorney Forensic Evidence Testing: Five awards totaling $519,000 to reimburse district attorney offices for costs associated with the forensic analysis of physical evidence.
• Homeland Security: 316 awards totaling $56.5 million to help prevent terrorism and prepare for the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk to the security of Texas and its citizens. These projects fund equipment, planning, training, exercises, and other activities for local, regional, and state-level agencies and strengthen core capabilities outlined in the National Preparedness Goal.
• Human Trafficking: 46 awards totaling $24.8 million for short- and long-term residential services, advocacy, and case management for survivors of human trafficking in Texas, as well as innovative projects that prevent, investigate, and prosecute the commercial sexual exploitation of people in Texas.
• Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforces: Three awards totaling $900,000 for projects that develop an effective response to technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and Internet crimes against children that encompasses forensic and investigative components, training and technical assistance, victim services, and community education.
• Justice Assistance: 231 awards totaling $15.3 million to promote public safety, reduce crime, and improve the criminal justice system. The projects funded support personnel, equipment, supplies, training, technical assistance, and information systems for criminal justice purposes.
• Juvenile Justice and Truancy Prevention: 111 awards totaling $8 million to prevent violence in and around schools and to improve the juvenile justice system by providing mental health services, truancy prevention, and intervention through community-based and school programs.
• Local Border Security (Border Star): 74 awards totaling $5.5 million to provide for overtime and operating costs that support an increased law enforcement presence to detect, deter, and disrupt drug, human, and other trafficking along the Texas-Mexico border.
• Non-Profit Security Enhancement: 224 awards totaling $30.4 million for projects that support physical security enhancements and other security activities to nonprofit organizations, including synagogues, churches, and other religious organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack based on the nonprofit organization’s ideology, beliefs, or mission.
• Operation Lone Star: 87 awards totaling $55.7 million for projects that enhance interagency border security operations supporting Operation Lone Star including facilitation of directed actions to deter and interdict criminal activity.
• Paul Coverdell Forensic Sciences Improvement: Five awards totaling $1.7 million for projects that improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science or medical examiners services, as well as projects seeking to address emerging forensic science. Specific funding has been reserved for projects that support responses to the opioid epidemic.
• Project Safe Neighborhoods: 22 awards totaling $1.2 million for projects designed to create and foster safer neighborhoods through a sustained reduction in violent crime, including, but not limited to, addressing criminal gangs and felonious possession and use of firearms.
• Residential Substance Abuse Treatment: Six awards totaling $3.1 million for projects that provide residential substance abuse treatment within local correctional and detention facilities.
• SAFE Ready Facilities: 41 awards totaling $4.4 million to assist medical care facilities throughout Texas with necessary training, equipment, and supplies to achieve and maintain Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE)-Ready designation as defined in Chapter 323 of the Texas Health and Safety Code.
• Serving Victims of Crime and Addressing Violence Against Women: 509 awards totaling $194.9 million to provide services directly to victims of crime to speed their recovery and aid them through the criminal justice process, as well as projects that promote a coordinated, multi-disciplinary approach to improve the justice system’s response to violent crimes against women.
• Sexual Assault Evidence Testing: Two awards totaling $456,000 to reimburse local law enforcement agencies for costs associated with the forensic analysis of physical evidence in relation to sexual assault or other sex offenses.
• Specialty Courts: 80 awards totaling $12.2 million to support judicially supervised treatment, intensive case management, and other services to assist participants with substance abuse or mental health challenges move toward a healthier lifestyle, reduce the number of repeat offenses, and address congestion in the court system.
• State Crisis Intervention Program: 50 awards totaling $13.3 million to support the prevention, intervention, and reduction of crime and violence and provide essential services to at-risk populations within Texas communities.
• State Cybersecurity Program: 125 awards totaling $8.1 million to address imminent cybersecurity threats to local information systems including implementing investments that support local governments with managing and reducing systemic cyber risk.
• Statewide Emergency Radio Infrastructure: 16 awards totaling $23.1 million to support state and regional efforts to improve or sustain interoperable emergency radio infrastructure.
• Texas Anti-Gang Centers: 9 awards totaling $30.2 million for projects that support regional, multidisciplinary approaches to combat gang violence through the coordination of gang prevention, intervention, and suppression activities.

 
The Governor’s Public Safety Office administers numerous state and federal grant programs in coordination with state-level and regional partner agencies, including the 24 regional Councils of Governments in Texas and the Urban Area Working Groups in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. Entities interested in seeking funds to support their public safety initiatives during the next grant cycle (FY 2026) should reach out to their local COG to learn about region specific timelines and requirements.