The U.S. Department of Justice's FY 2026 Model Cities Initiative (MCI) is a new competitive program designed to support a small number of cities in implementing comprehensive, whole-city public safety strategies. DOJ expects to award nearly $300 million total to approximately two to four jurisdictions, with applications due September 1, 2026. Eligible applicants are local government entities serving populations of at least 100,000 residents.
MCI funding is intended to help selected cities reduce violent crime, restore public order, and serve as national models for public safety innovation. Allowable uses include hiring and retaining law enforcement and support personnel; expanding prosecutorial, forensic, victim service, reentry, youth violence prevention, behavioral health, and substance use services; and purchasing technology such as real-time crime centers, body-worn cameras, license plate readers, forensic tools, drones, artificial intelligence systems, and information technology upgrades.
Potential Benefits
- Large-scale funding: Because DOJ expects to select only a few jurisdictions, successful applicants stand to receive substantially larger awards than many traditional public safety grant programs offer.
- Flexible, comprehensive scope: Funds can support a broad mix of enforcement, prevention, technology, behavioral health, victim services, reentry, and youth-focused activities — giving cities room to shape a proposal around genuine local needs.
- No local match requirement: The absence of a match may lower financial barriers for eligible jurisdictions.
- Stronger cross-agency coordination: The initiative encourages mayors, law enforcement, prosecutors, corrections, health agencies, community supervision, and service providers to align around a single public safety plan.
- Modernized public safety infrastructure: Cities can use funds to build or expand data-driven capabilities, including real-time crime centers, forensic capacity, and other technology-supported operations.
Potential Drawbacks and Considerations
- Highly competitive: With only two to four anticipated awards nationwide, many eligible cities may invest significant time in an application without receiving funding.
- Implementation complexity: A competitive proposal will likely require substantial coordination across agencies, elected officials, service providers, and community partners — difficult to organize quickly.
- Sustainability: The funding period may support major staffing, technology, and service expansions, but cities will need a credible plan to sustain what works after the federal award ends.
- Federal involvement and oversight: As cooperative agreements (a funding structure with closer agency involvement than a standard grant), awards may bring direct DOJ engagement in project design, implementation, partner approval, and performance review.
- Community trust and civil liberties: Investments in surveillance, artificial intelligence, drones, license plate readers, and proactive policing may raise concerns about privacy, transparency, equity, and accountability if not paired with strong safeguards.
- Performance pressure: Selected cities will be expected to demonstrate measurable crime reductions and serve as replicable national models, increasing scrutiny of outcomes and implementation quality.