The Department of Justice recognized State Attorney Melissa Nelson and the 4th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office with the Outstanding Local Prosecutor’s Office Award for its ongoing efforts in the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.
The award, presented Dec. 16, was one of two given to a prosecutor’s office in the U.S.
“This is an incredible honor for this office and a testament to the hard work of everyone who has dedicated their career to making our community a safer place,” Nelson said in a news release.
“Public safety is the culmination of leadership, vision, and a commitment to improving the quality of life in her community. Melissa Nelson has achieved all threes,” said U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Maria Chapa Lopez in a news release.
“The success of Project Safe Neighborhoods in northeast Florida is directly attributable to her ability to galvanize her office, critical agencies and community partners around a common goal — creating safer communities.”
The Project Safe Neighborhood initiative brings law enforcement of all levels together to reduce violent crime, prosecute those who drive violence in the community, and make neighborhoods safer.
Nelson’s office advocated for the Crime Gun Intelligence Center and worked with City Council and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to open the center in May 2019. It is staffed with members from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and JSO, who work with the office’s Targeted Prosecution Unit and U.S. Attorney’s Office to combat gun crime.