OCSO opens application process for Community Crime Prevention grant program

The Orange County Sheriff's Office opened the application process for its second annual Community Crime Prevention grant program on Friday, Oct. 15. 

The program, created in 2020, will provide micro-grants ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 to nonprofit organizations, neighborhood groups and others engaged in projects or programs that address topics including neighborhood safety, crime prevention, and drug abuse education and prevention. 

The grants are part of the OCSO's efforts to reduce and prevent crime in Orange County.

In total, the program seeks to award $125,000 in grants that do not require applicants to provide matching funds.

The grants are made possible by utilizing seized contraband assets, which are held in the Sheriff’s Law Enforcement Trust Fund, according to the OCSO. 

Undersheriff Mark Canty said there are two things that are probably the most important to Sheriff John Mina. 

"Obviously he said he wants to stop crime here in Orange County, but the next most important thing is engaging our community and making a positive impact and effect on our community and its our pleasure and it makes us proud to help you make that change possible," Canty said. 

Applicants may request up to $10,000 in funding, but the grant recipients and amounts will be selected at the sole discretion of the OCSO. Only one application per organization will be accepted. 

All applications that meet the minimum eligibility criteria will be reviewed by an internal Funding Approval Committee and Sheriff Mina will make the final determination of awards, according to the OCSO. 

The awards must be ratified by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners before the funds are released.

Previous awardees include Toughbiker, So You Want Your Name In Lights, Mental Health Association of Central Florida, and Hope City Refuge. 

To apply, agencies or organizations must fill out the grant application in full and submit it to the OCSO no later than Friday, Dec. 10 at 4 p.m. 

For more information on the program and the complete application criteria, click here.