Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2021, $190,951)
On behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ), the State Administering Agency (SAA) and fiscal agent, requests a 36-month project to support and build on existing efforts and target gaps in addressing violent crime in the Eastern District of Wisconsin. In the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the PSN target area is the following six neighborhoods in the City of Milwaukee, which were chosen because of the significant firearm violence occurring in those locations: Old North Milwaukee; Garden Homes; Metcalf Park; North Division; Harambee; and Lincoln Village.
Violent crimes involving firearms continue to plague many Milwaukee neighborhoods. Milwaukee has experienced high rates of homicides and non-fatal shootings, with a significant increase in 2019 and 2020. Within Milwaukee, two significant sources are responsible for violent firearm crime: (1) organized violent groups and (2) individuals who consistently engage in firearm-related crimes.
To address firearm violence in Milwaukee, the PSN effort will pursue a strategy designed to: (1) prosecute the most high-risk firearam offenders and groups (2) increase place-based interventions, collective efficacy, and neighborhood revitalization; and (3) implement and participate in firearm violence deterrence programs.
Under the leadership of the USAO, the PSN Task Force is a strong partnership of a number of agencies, including the following: Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office, Milwaukee Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Corrections, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Milwaukee County Community Justice Council, Wisconsin DOJ – Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Medical College of WI.