BJA FY 2022 Project Safe Neighborhood

The City of St. Louis in the Eastern District of Missouri confronts a chronically high level of violence, specifically firearm violence. St. Louis has had the highest murder rate per 100,000 residents in the U.S. each year since 2015. The murder rate per 100,000 residents was 67.8 in 2021. The Census Bureau reported a population of 301,578 for St. Louis in 2020.

The total homicides for the targeted enforcement area in 2021 was 79, being reduced from 90 in 2020. Total aggravated assaults also decreased in 2021 at 1,170, compared to 1,441 in 2020. The reduction in total homicide and aggravated assaults alone between 2021 and 2020 in the targeted enforcement areas, show progress and a step in the right direction. However, even with these reductions, St. Louis is still reported to have the highest murder rate per 100,000 residents in the U.S. in 2021.

Funding is requested for the grant period of October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2025 to combat violent crime in St. Louis. Consistently rated among the most violent cities over 100,000 in population, the City of St. Louis has one of the highest homicide rates in the United States, based on Part I (Violent Crime) Uniform Crime Reporting Data by the FBI. 

The Violent Crime Working Group/Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) Task Force, assembled by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, has used detailed crime data analysis, including data from the Gun Crime Intelligence Center, to identify smaller geographic areas within the City of St. Louis that are experiencing a large percentage of violent crime throughout the city. The Working Group includes both local and state agencies and such as the Missouri Department of Public Safety, Metropolitan St. Louis Police Department, and Urban League of St. Louis that are actively working within the distressed St. Louis metropolitan areas to provide resources and assistance to citizens who are experiencing this disproportionate level of violence in their neighborhoods. The goal is to reduce the homicide rate. 

The Working Group relies on crime data and other related quantitative and qualitative measures to identify the areas within the District that are experiencing the most significant violent crime problems. The Group then develops evidence-based strategies to reduce crime. Working Group law enforcement partners meet on a bi-weekly basis to focus efforts on successfully prosecuting offenders.