Implement PSN grant activities in the Eastern District of California.

The Fresno Police Department (FPD), located in the Eastern District of California (EDC), will be applying for funding in the amount of $432,273 for a proposed project period of 36 months. The population of the EDC is estimated at over 7.5 million. Fresno County regularly leads the 34 counties in the EDC in homicides and shootings. Fresno is the birthplace of the Fresno Bulldogs, the largest gang in Central California.  Fresno County has a long and deep-rooted history of gun and gang violence with gangs of various ethnicities, including but not limited to Hispanic and African American. Bulldogs are Hispanic, and TWAMP and MUGG are rival African American gangs.  

The goals of the project are to 1) Create a safer neighborhood for the residents of in three of the five policing districts within the City of Fresno: Southwest, Central and Southeast Fresno and 2) Increase public awareness of Fresno Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and how gun/gang violence impacts everyone.

The objectives of this project are to 1) To create a safer neighborhood in Southwest, Central and Southeast by reducing gun violence and gun crime, and sustaining that reduction through the use of wire technology and apprehending the most violent and prolific gang members, 2) Reduce the occurrence of violent gang-related incidents through both reactive and proactive efforts supported by enforcement planning coordinated with federal, state, and local law enforcement and informed by data and real-time intelligence, 3) Develop and implement a comprehensive enforcement and social service strategy which focus on gangs and gang members committing violent crimes, and 4) Reduce the occurrence of youth gang-related incidents and increase positive outcomes for youth at high-risk for gang involvement.

The project will integrate existing initiatives, such as the PSN Task Force, with promising initiatives such as a wire technology, dedicated jail beds for gang/gun offenders, and a youth development program. The project will bring together community organizations, social-service organizations, and law enforcement at all levels. It is a true multi-discipline gun/gang strategy in recognition that any sustainable reduction in gun/gang violence requires a “team” approach.