Massachusetts Project Safe Neighborhoods Program

The Massachusetts PSN and Violent Crime Reduction strategy will be focused on reducing violent crime in six particular geographical areas (e.g. Boston, Springfield, Worcester, Brockton, Lawrence and New Bedford). The focus of PSN will be isolated to organized criminal activity, including gang related crimes; firearms trafficking and firearms-related crimes; persistent retaliatory violence; recidivists violence and repeat offenders; violent drug organizations; violence by illegal immigrants; youth violence and recruitment of juveniles; and violence toward vulnerable victims.

The PSN Strategy will also focus on dismantling 18th Street Gang and transnational criminal organizations like MS-13, regardless of where they operate.  In some places, targets in one city may have an impact on violent crime in a neighboring community.  For instance, surged enforcement efforts in Springfield could impact Holyoke while a focus on New Bedford could impact Fall River and Taunton.  Similarly, more coordinated enforcement of impact players in Lawrence could reduce violent crime in Haverhill.

In a goal to strengthen protective factors among vulnerable youth in the PSN cities, we will offer a competitive process to each of the six PSN target cities to implement an evidence based prevention and/or intervention programs designed to strengthen protective factors among the most vulnerable youth. In addition, in order to promote an anti-violent lifestyle, a competitive solicitation will be offered for applicants to develop and implement a hospital intervention program supporting the City of Springfield.

Trainings will be provided for law enforcement officers that include topics such as federal criminal statutes, NIBIN, firearm tracing, gang recruitment, characteristics of armed offenders and other related topics.  Another project, as required by the federal solicitation will be to identify three non-federal members of the PSN Team to the 2021 PSN National Conference in Washington DC at a date to be determined. Lastly, we will expand and enhance reentry programming in one or more of the six PSN target cities.