Proposed Recipient: Jacksonville, TX Police Department

Address of Recipient: 911 S. Bolton Street, Jacksonville, Texas 75766

Amount of Request: $528,000.00

Project Description and Statement of Public Benefit: This project will fund the acquisition of one armored rescue vehicle and the development of a regional unmanned aerial systems (UAS) response capability supported by two mobile drone response vehicles. The armored rescue vehicle will provide protected evacuation and rescue capability for officers and civilians during high-risk incidents, including active shooter events, barricaded subjects, hostage situations, and other critical emergencies where ballistic protection is required.

Currently, Jacksonville and neighboring jurisdictions rely on mutual aid from outside agencies for armored rescue capability. Response times for those resources can extend several hours, leaving responding officers and civilians exposed during critical incidents. The armored rescue vehicle would be nimble enough for call responses of all types, including police, fire, EMS, and other rescue services. The vehicle would be used exactly like a police cruiser, but deployed only in critical events, and would provide more protection and resources on scene than a typical police interceptor.