Lucas County’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council will receive $56,315.85 in state grant money to help fight violent crime.

The Office of Criminal Justice Services announced the award Thursday. It is part of more than $4.5 million in federal Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants that have been awarded to help Ohio communities prevent and control crime.

The annual grants support the crime prevention work of law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, corrections facilities, crime victim and witness initiatives, and others across Ohio. In total, 147 projects were funded in 65 counties.

Justice assistance grants may be used for state and local initiatives, technical assistance, strategic planning, research and evaluation, data collection, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and criminal justice information systems.

The money awarded to the council is to support eight Northern Ohio Violent Crime Consortium police departments — Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Elyria, Lorain, Mansfield, Toledo, and Youngstown — with the implementation of a data, technology, and personnel project to expand and strengthen their crime and intelligence analysis abilities.

First Published March 13, 2025, 7:36 p.m.