St. Petersburg police will hand about $289,000 in seized criminal assets to 54 community programs on Monday. It is the largest round in at least six years.
St. Petersburg police will give about $289,000 to 54 community programs Monday. The money comes from cash and property seized in criminal cases over the past year.
Police Chief Anthony Holloway will present the checks at 10 a.m. Monday in the department’s media room at 1301 First Ave. N. The department announced the ceremony in a release Friday.
The programs work on neighborhood safety, crime prevention and drug abuse prevention, the department said. “The Chief is especially interested in assisting programs promoting positive behavior for children and teens,” the release said.
The biggest round in at least six years
This year’s total is about 70% more than last year’s and more than five times the 2021 total.
The department publishes five years of past awards on its 2026 grant program information sheet. This year’s figures come from Friday’s release, which gives the total as approximate.
| Grant year | Amount awarded | Programs funded | Average award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $53,000 | 25 | $2,120 |
| 2022 | $58,000 | 13 | $4,462 |
| 2023 | $160,000 | 34 | $4,706 |
| 2024 | $125,000 | 23 | $5,435 |
| 2025 | $169,785 | 45 | $3,773 |
| 2026 | about $289,000 | 54 | about $5,350 |
The 2025 round was presented in January 2026 by Holloway and Mayor Ken Welch. The department’s release for that ceremony said 43 programs. The information sheet lists 45.
The department has not published the list of this year’s recipients. We will add it if it does.
Where the money comes from
Florida’s Contraband Forfeiture Act lets police seize money and property used in crimes. Under Florida Statutes section 932.7055, a city police department that takes in at least $15,000 a year this way must give at least 25% of it to programs such as:
- drug treatment, education and prevention
- crime prevention
- safe neighborhood programs
- school resource officer programs
The same law says the money cannot pay for a department’s normal operating costs. The department’s Legal Division runs the grant program.
Who can apply, and what the money cannot buy
The program is open to neighborhood groups, associations, agencies and nonprofits with 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) status that serve people inside the city limits, according to the information sheet. Groups do not have to match the money, and there is no cap on what they can ask for. The chief decides each award.
The information sheet says grants cannot pay for:
- salaries or stipends
- food or drinks
- scholarships
- travel or transportation
- newsletters, ads, flyers or social media
A group that owes the city money gets nothing until the debt is paid.
What it means for you
- If you run a youth, safety or drug prevention program in St. Petersburg, this is free money with no match required. The 2026 deadline was Aug. 31. The department posts the next year’s forms on its grant program page, and the application asks for an itemized list of what you would buy.
- Questions go to the department’s Legal Division at Police.Legal@stpete.org.
- More police news, from the department’s own releases, is in our Police and Fire log.
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