U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. revealed that the Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Department of Justice has granted in total an amount of $4,202,037 to several law enforcement departments in Louisiana.

The recipients of these funds are the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, the Baton Rouge Police Department, the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office, and the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office.

The Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement (LCLE) received a grant of $3,893,810 to support Louisiana organizations in combating drug abuse and violent crime across the state.

The project involves funding government units at state and local levels to enforce drug control laws and enhance the efficacy of the criminal justice system, with a focus on violent crime and major offenders.

Based in Baton Rouge, LCLE is an institution committed to refining the workings of the criminal and juvenile justice systems and fostering public safety through forward-thinking leadership and synergy within the criminal justice community.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office and Baton Rouge Police Department have been granted $235,720. This funding will be used to buy and maintain video and computer equipment along with general law enforcement gear which they couldn't afford due to budget limitations.

The approved budget items aim to enhance the safety of officers and citizens across their communities.

The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office (LPSO) received a grant of $41,007. The funds will be utilized to advance the objectives of the Livingston Parish Gun Violence Reduction Initiative. This includes funding overtime for gun violence investigators, leveraging technology for officer safety, and gathering evidence for unlawful firearm-related prosecutions.

The initiative also emphasizes preventing gun-related crimes and focusing on violent criminals.

The Sheriff's Office of Ascension Parish received a grant of $31,500 to equip every law enforcement officer in Ascension Parish with dependable and efficient body armor.