JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A new report from Jacksonville’s Office of Inspector General raised concerns about the oversight and spending of taxpayer money intended to reduce crime in 2022 and 2023.
The report on the now-discontinued Safety and Crime Reduction Small Grant Program, designed to fund small nonprofits with innovative strategies to combat crime, found compliance failures and a lack of verification processes involving the program.
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The investigation highlights key issues within the program, which supported 40 nonprofit organizations in Duval County.
Grants were restricted to groups with annual budgets under $75,000. However, two recipients exceeded that limit, reporting budgets to the IRS of $333,450 and $518,639, respectively. The report identified these organizations as 2nd Mile Ministries and Northside Community Involvement.
Another critical failure involved background checks.
According to the report, 32 of the 40 nonprofits could not provide documentation confirming background checks on staff and volunteers who worked with children or vulnerable adults. These lapses raised significant safety concerns.
The OIG report also flagged financial management issues. Grant recipients were required to set up separate bank accounts for grant funds or use approved accounting systems, but several organizations failed to comply.
In response, Jacksonville’s Grants and Contract Compliance Division, now under new leadership, has vowed to implement changes.
The Safety and Crime Reduction Small Grant Program was discontinued last year. City officials acknowledged the oversight issues, attributing some of the challenges to the program’s creation under a previous administration, which lacked clear guidelines for vetting the financial eligibility of applicants.
This report underscores the need for improved accountability and compliance in managing public funds allocated for crime reduction. The city has pledged to strengthen safeguards to ensure future programs meet their intended goals.