State of Arizona Project Safe Neighborhood Program

FY2020 Arizona Project Safe Neighborhood’s Project Abstract

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona (USAO-DAZ) is focusing its efforts on (1) violent firearm and gang prosecutions and (2) proactive investigations targeting transnational narcotics trafficking organizations who are smuggling firearms and ammunition from Arizona into Mexico. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona leads the Arizona PSN task force. Arizona’s PSN task force is committed to utilizing a data-driven, evidence-based approach to addressing violent crime across the state by increasing the usage of the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) reporting and leveraging the City of Phoenix’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center Initiative. The proposed project period will commence on January 2022 through August 2023.

    Arizona’s PSN Task Force includes criminal justice representatives from law enforcement, prosecution, and probation from Federal, state, and agencies. The PSN Task Force will consist of community stakeholders from the faith community, neighborhood groups, or other social service disciplines to provide a holistic approach to violent crime reduction activities. An academic research partner and certified fiscal agent for grant management services will complete the task force. The research partner, Arizona State University, will provide the Arizona PSN Task Force with data analysis to help identify problem areas across the state and gaps in data and NIBIN usage.

    The PSN Task Force will use this data analysis and leverage the partnerships the USAO has created and initiatives such as Project Guardian, to implement the PSN projects throughout the state. These projects will include evidence-based programs based on the five PSN principles of leadership, partnership, targeted and prioritized enforcement, prevention, and accountability to reduce violent crime and recidivism. The task force will seek to build upon successful regional initiatives, such as the Phoenix Police Department’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC). This program encourages other law enforcement agencies to enter their ballistic evidence into the NIBIN database utilizing IBIS equipment housed at their agency, improving intelligence. The PSN Task Force will implement performance outcome measures to track and report on the progress toward the goal of violent crime reduction among the identified crime hot spots in Arizona.