JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Department of Justice on Wednesday recognized State Attorney Melissa Nelson for her office’s support of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative.
According to the DOJ, Nelson made the initiative a priority immediately after she was sworn into office in 2017, becoming a driving force behind creating Northeast Florida’s first Crime Gun Intelligence Center. The center officially opened in May 2019 and Nelson worked to fully staff the center.
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“The success of Project Safe Neighborhoods in northeast Florida is directly attributable to her ability to galvanize her office, critical agencies and community partners around a common goal – creating safer communities,” the DOJ wrote in a news release.
The DOJ said Nelson completely re-structured the juvenile division within her office to better serve the community and that she established a program to provide at least one prosecutor to every middle and high school in Duval County.
“Through this program, prosecutors regularly meet with students to improve relationships between the community, prosecutors, and law enforcement,” it stated.