FY 2021 PSN Middle District

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) will allocate the funds for the Violent Gang and Gun Crime Reduction Program, also known as Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) to support the United States Attorney's Office (USAO) for the Middle District of Florida (MDFL). Funds will be used to reduce violent crime, including felonious firearm crimes, criminal gang violence, and preventing future criminal activities within the MDFL hotspots.

The proposed project period is October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2024.

The primary crime driver is the continued threat of violent gun and gang crime in the MDFL.  Geographic focus of intervention(s) and strategies will be the violent crime hot spots to be determined within the MDFL.  30 percent of the funding will be used for collaborative, coordinated law enforcement efforts focused on criminal and/or transnational organizations, as mandated by the FY2021 federal solicitation.

The research partner for the MDFL is the University of South Florida based in Tampa/St. Petersburg.  Other research partners may be established through subgrant applications to be submitted to BJA for approval, as part of the MDFL PSN program strategy.

The key partners for this project have direct knowledge of the criminal activities and the criminals in the targeted enforcement areas (TEA).  The task forces consist of federal, state, and local law enforcement.  The Tampa partners will include the USAO, Department Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Agency, Homeland Security Investigations, FDLE, Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office and Police Department; the Sheriff’s Offices of Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Manatee Counties; Tampa, Clearwater, and Sarasota Police Departments; State Attorneys for the 6th, 12th and 13th Circuits; Hillsborough Probation and Parole; and the University of South Florida.  Jacksonville key partners will include the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, State Attorney's Office, 4th Circuit, ATF, and the USAO.  The Ft. Myers PSN partners include the USAO, Fort Myers Police Department, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, State Attorney’s Office, State Probation Office, FBI and ATF.