Crime prevention efforts in Fort Dodge and Webster County have received a hefty financial boost from a newly awarded federal grant.

The Fort Dodge Community Foundation and the Webster County Sheriff’s Department received a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. The money is from the Rural Crime and Violence Reduction program.

The grant award far exceeded the $73,000 sought in the initial application.

“I have never heard of anyone applying for a certain amount of money and getting a lot more than that,” said Randy Kuhlman, the chief executive officer of the Fort Dodge Community Foundation and United Way.

“We’re really excited about that,” he added.

Kuhlman announced the grant Thursday evening during a town hall meeting dedicated to crime prevention.

Detailed plans for how the grant money will be used will be announced in about a week.