LEONARDTOWN, MD (July 20, 2026) – State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling announced today that the St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney’s Office has been awarded a $72,488 Gun Violence Reduction Grant (GVRG) to combat violent crimes involving the use of firearms.
In her first year as State’s Attorney, Sterling quickly embraced emerging advancements in digital evidence by utilizing the grant funding to create a full-time Digital Evidence Analyst position and launch the office’s Evidence Review Unit. The unit tackles the challenges of managing complex digital evidence, including body-worn cameras, surveillance footage, social media records, and cell phone data. It also provides specialized analysis and technical support in gun violence prosecutions.
“As technology continues to shape criminal investigations, a dedicated evidence analyst position is mission critical to our office’s operations,” said State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling. “This grant ensures a seamless continuation of the office’s digital evidence analyst role, which bolsters the successful prosecution of criminals who commit violent crimes while utilizing firearms in St. Mary’s County. That expertise is essential to our ongoing commitment to protect the community and seek justice for victims.”
The grant awarded by the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy marks the fourth consecutive year Sterling’s office successfully competed for and earned this grant to aid in the reduction of gun violence, for a total of $348,470 over the four-year span.
This award, in combination with other grants secured by the office, brings the grand total of grant dollars awarded to Sterling’s office to $2,601,712 since she was sworn in as the State’s Attorney for St. Mary’s County in 2023.
Jessika Hall, Chief of Staff for the State’s Attorney’s Office, successfully wrote and prepared the competitive FY27 GVRG grant application on behalf of the citizens of St. Mary’s County.
This project is supported by the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy under GVRG- 2027-0009. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the State or Federal agency.
