# Gov. Beshear Opens $884K Grant Program to Combat Crime, Violence **Published:** 2026-01-26T14:08:38.000Z **Source:** [KY Justice & Public Safety Cabinet](https://kentucky.gov/Pages/Activity-stream.aspx?n=Justice&prId=284) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/gov-beshear-opens-884k-grant-program-to-combat-crime-violence LEXINGTON, Ky. — [Gov. Andy Beshear announced that applications are now open for nearly $884,000 in federal grant funding](https://kentucky.gov/Pages/Activity-stream.aspx?n=Justice&prId=284) aimed at reducing crime and violence across Kentucky, representing a significant opportunity for local agencies to support crime prevention efforts. [The funding comes through the federal Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program and is available to units of local government to assist efforts to prevent and reduce crime and violence, with emphasis on gun violence and programs addressing root causes.](https://www.klemagazine.com/blog/2026/1/27/gov-beshear-announces-nearly-884000-in-grant-funding-available-to-reduce-crime-and-violence) Eligible applicants include towns, cities, counties, law enforcement agencies, judicial enforcement districts and school districts. [The Byrne SCIP funding supports the creation and implementation of state crisis intervention court proceedings, including mental health courts, drug courts and veterans' treatment courts.](https://www.klemagazine.com/blog/2026/1/27/gov-beshear-announces-nearly-884000-in-grant-funding-available-to-reduce-crime-and-violence) [Kentucky's State Crisis Intervention Advisory Board has identified five priority funding areas: court programs and court-based diversion programs; behavioral health initiatives and crisis response; community crisis intervention and co-responder programs and training; suicide prevention initiatives focused on veterans and youth; and education, public awareness campaigns and gun safety device distribution.](https://www.kentuckynewera.com/news/state/article_8e2b0a52-f15d-5091-a24c-6a162c7ae71f.html) ["Preventing crime in all of our communities is essential to building the safer New Kentucky Home all of our children deserve," Gov. Beshear said.](https://www.klemagazine.com/blog/2026/1/27/gov-beshear-announces-nearly-884000-in-grant-funding-available-to-reduce-crime-and-violence) [Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Keith Jackson said in the release that "funding like this is essential to our continued support of local government agencies who work each day to reduce crime in their communities."](https://www.klemagazine.com/blog/2026/1/27/gov-beshear-announces-nearly-884000-in-grant-funding-available-to-reduce-crime-and-violence) [Applications must be submitted online by 5 p.m. EST on Feb. 27, 2026, via Intelligrants 10.0, the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet's electronic grants management system.](https://www.klemagazine.com/blog/2026/1/27/gov-beshear-announces-nearly-884000-in-grant-funding-available-to-reduce-crime-and-violence) [Assistance with the application process may be obtained by contacting grants management staff at JUSIGX@ky.gov.](https://www.klemagazine.com/blog/2026/1/27/gov-beshear-announces-nearly-884000-in-grant-funding-available-to-reduce-crime-and-violence) [Awards are expected to be announced in September with the award date beginning Oct. 1.](https://www.klemagazine.com/blog/2026/1/27/gov-beshear-announces-nearly-884000-in-grant-funding-available-to-reduce-crime-and-violence) [In Lexington, violent crime dropped by 10.8% between 2024-2025, including declines in homicides, firearm assaults, and robberies.](https://fox56news.com/news/local/lexington/lexington-mayor-highlights-economic-growth-decline-in-violent-crime-in-2026-state-of-the-city-address/amp/) The city's [ONE Lexington initiative uses a public health approach to violence prevention with community partners from education, social services, justice, law enforcement, faith and health sectors.](https://www.lexingtonky.gov/government/mayors-office/one-lexington) [Since taking office, the Beshear-Coleman administration has awarded more than $162 million in grant funding to victim service agencies across the commonwealth.](https://www.klemagazine.com/blog/2026/1/27/gov-beshear-announces-nearly-884000-in-grant-funding-available-to-reduce-crime-and-violence) [The 2024 Crime in Kentucky report, released in June, shows an overall decrease of 7.66% in reports of serious crime from 2023 to 2024.](https://www.klemagazine.com/blog/2026/1/27/gov-beshear-announces-nearly-884000-in-grant-funding-available-to-reduce-crime-and-violence) ## Sources - [KY Justice & Public Safety Cabinet](https://kentucky.gov/Pages/Activity-stream.aspx?n=Justice&prId=284) - [Kentucky Law Enforcement Magazine coverage of crime reduction grants](https://www.klemagazine.com/blog/2026/1/27/gov-beshear-announces-nearly-884000-in-grant-funding-available-to-reduce-crime-and-violence) - [Kentucky New Era reporting on Byrne SCIP funding priorities](https://www.kentuckynewera.com/news/state/article_8e2b0a52-f15d-5091-a24c-6a162c7ae71f.html) - [Lexington Mayor's State of the City address reporting crime decline](https://fox56news.com/news/local/lexington/lexington-mayor-highlights-economic-growth-decline-in-violent-crime-in-2026-state-of-the-city-address/amp/) - [City of Lexington ONE Lexington violence prevention initiative](https://www.lexingtonky.gov/government/mayors-office/one-lexington) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from KY Justice & Public Safety Cabinet, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://kentucky.gov/Pages/Activity-stream.aspx?n=Justice&prId=284.