MODEL CITIES INITIATIVE
Making cities safer requires sustained investment in the people who do the work day after day — and in the tools that prepare them for it. Virtual reality training systems that build readiness for every high-risk scenario imaginable, like the V-Armed Training System, are among the most impactful and cost-effective ways municipalities can fulfill that commitment.
On June 3, 2026, the Department of Justice took a significant step in that direction. Through the newly announced Model Cities Initiative (MCI), DOJ is directing nearly $300 million in federal funding to help select cities take a whole-of-city approach to reducing crime and restoring public safety. Two to four cities will be chosen to receive awards supporting comprehensive, innovative public safety strategies — funding that is intended to serve as a model other cities can replicate nationwide.
“This administration is leveraging every authority to ensure the safety of all Americans,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Model Cities Initiative will supercharge our law enforcement partners and restore the rule of law to America’s neighborhoods, towns, and cities. Our message is clear: We will help those who help us Make America Safe Again.”
What the Funding Can Be Used For
MCI dollars are meant to be spent broadly across public safety and behavioral health, and two of the initiative’s explicitly allowable categories line up directly with what V-Armed delivers:
- Purchase or lease of equipment, tools, or technology that reduce crime and restore law and order
- Training and professional development that supports intelligence-led policing, violent crime investigations, and crisis response
Other eligible uses include hiring and retention, facility costs, mental health and reentry services, victim services, and youth crime prevention — reflecting DOJ’s holistic, whole-of-city framing of public safety.
Who’s Eligible
Applicants must be local government entities serving a population of at least 100,000. Cities apply through a coordinated, whole-of-city submission — meaning the mayor, sheriff, county prosecutor, and other stakeholders work together on a single proposal for how the funding will be deployed. Proposals are due September 1, 2026, and DOJ anticipates making initial award decisions in late 2026.
Why This Matters for Police Training
Preparing officers for the full range of scenarios they may face in the field — not just firearms qualification, but de-escalation, crisis response, active-shooter response, and high-stress decision-making — is exactly the kind of investment that produces measurable, lasting reductions in risk. Immersive VR training allows departments to run officers through realistic, repeatable, high-risk scenarios without the cost, scheduling burden, or liability of live-action exercises, and to do so at a scale that keeps pace with a department’s full roster.
For cities preparing an MCI proposal, a VR training system is a concrete, fundable line item that speaks directly to the initiative’s training and technology priorities — and one that demonstrates measurable impact to reviewers.
Get Ahead of the September 1 Deadline
If your municipality is considering an MCI application, or simply looking to strengthen your police training curriculum independent of this funding cycle, now is the time to talk. Contact V-Armed to discuss how our training systems can fit into your city’s whole-of-city safety proposal — and how we can help you make the case that readiness investment saves lives.
Learn more about the Model Cities Initiative and application details at justice.gov/grants.
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