Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2021, $191,588)
The United States Attorney’s Office Eastern District (USAO) program is anchored on “Take Back North Carolina”, in order to combat violent crime, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement. Implemented in March 2018, the initiative renews the partnership between USAO, District Attorneys’ offices, and federal state and local law enforcement agencies across the 44 counties of Eastern, North Carolina (44 Sheriffs; 188 Police Departments; 15 elected District Attorneys) through the regional assignment of Assistant US Attorney’s (AUSA) strategic targeting, decentralized case intake authority and public messaging.
The number of violent crime incidents reported by many of the Eastern District of North Carolina’s most dangerous cities far exceeds the national estimate of 366.7 violent crimes per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the FBI Uniform Crime Report (201916), cities such as (Lumberton pop. 20,484; 532 violent crimes) and (Goldsboro pop. 34,085; 267 violent crimes), report an amount of violent crime equal to the national estimate, but with just a fraction of the population.
The causes of violent crime within our district are wide ranging, but are primarily related to gang violence, drug trafficking to include heroin/opioids; national gang affiliates; repeat drug offenders; repeat armed felons/robberies; drug-fueled home invasions; and firearm offenses.
As a complement to the enforcement strategy, “Take Back North Carolina” utilizes call-in meetings with at-risk individuals, as well as reentry, community engagement, and youth education programs to prevent additional violence. The district’s PSN program also utilizes call-in meetings with individuals identified as at-risk for committing future violent acts. These meetings are conducted in partnership with Federal, State and Local Law Enforcement officers; community based social service providers; business leaders; and faith-based community to communicate a deterrence message by describing focused enforcement efforts and to link those individuals to services to address the root causes of violence and recidivism. Other prevention efforts include reentry programs, an outdoor summer movie series to engage the community and create public awareness about gun violence, and school-based programs, such as Educating Kids About Gun Violence, mentoring programs for at risk youth and bully prevention programs. The objective of the prevention and community engagement elements of the program is to prevent additional gun crimes by increasing the perception of risk and the perception of legitimacy of law enforcement among targeted offenders, and by connecting these individuals to necessary and desired services.