JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A local Safety and Crime Reduction Commission will provide thousands of dollars to local non-profits that want to reduce crime. Those groups can start applying for $9,000 grants starting Friday, March 1.
A 12-person commission awards the dollars to the crime fighting efforts. Rahman Johnson represents City Council District 14. “We are here to announce this because the numbers of crime issues that we see in our city...$300,000 will be given to organizations that have a budget of less than $100,000 annually,” he said.
Patricia Ward knows what it feels like to lose a loved one to violence. Her son, Curtis Williamson, was murdered in California. Ward says it was difficult to get information about her son’s homicide.
A law in honor of Curtis was approved in California and another was approved and signed into law in Florida by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2023. She now runs Curtis’ Company for Children Gone Too Soon.
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“My son was murdered and it’s to help families that are hurting, to empower them mentally, physically and financially whatever we can do to help that family get back balanced,” Ward said.
Ward was a recipient of last year’s grant. She wants to help more families of murdered children.
“This is something that trickles down, that’s why we need to be out there letting people know about this,” Ward said. Non-profits can apply now until March 14, 2024.