FY2024 Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant Program

The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California (EDCA) is committed to reducing violent crime.  The Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's premier violent crime program. The program is concentrated on the most pressing violent crime problems and drivers. EDCA continues to work with our federal and local law enforcement partners, as well as non-governmental and non-profit organizations to implement programs and strategies to combat violent crime. The EDCA region consist of 34 counties, serves more than 8 million residents, and consist of 87,000 square miles. The EDCA faces unique challenges with respect to transnational drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), gangs and violent crime, given the District's proximity to the Mexico border and the fact that the District has three (3) major transshipment corridors (California State Route 99, Interstate 5 and 80).  
 
In 2023, the United States Customs and Border Protection on the San Diego/Mexico corridor seized 77,228 lbs. Methamphetamine, 14,623 lbs. Cocaine, and 12,710 lbs. Fentanyl.  The Central Valley California (CVC) High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) 2024 Threat Assessment identified Fentanyl as the primary drug threat.  Fentanyl-laced counterfeit prescription pills remain the dominant form of the drug and even though the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG restricted fentanyl production in 2023.  Methamphetamine is the CVC HIDTA's second most dangerous drug threat.  The availability of methamphetamine, particularly crystal methamphetamine has increased over the last several years.  There has been an increase in large-capacity methamphetamine conversion labs in the Central Valley.  Cocaine is the third drug threat, overtaking marijuana and heroin.  The increase in availability is likely a result in the increase in coca cultivation in South American and Central America.  California Department of Public Health reported for 2022 there were 7,385 deaths related to any opioid overdose, 6,473 deaths related to Fentanyl overdose, 21,316 Emergency Room visits related to Opioid overdose, and 13,640,794 prescriptions for Opioids.  The California Department of Justice (CA DOJ), Open Justice crimes statistics from 2019 to 2023 for the EDCA shows a 19% increase in violent crime, 16% increase in homicides, 12% increase in rapes, 27% increase in aggravated assaults, 13% increase in call for assistance to domestic violence 81% increase in domestic violence with a weapon.  The CA DOJ Open Justice documented in our District for 2023 violent crime statistics: 46,226 violent crime incidents, 482 homicides, 3,508 rapes, 8,733 robbery's, 33,515 aggravated assaults, 48,645 domestic violence related calls for assistance with 27,870 involving a weapon. 
 
EDCA will use a collaborative approach to combat violent crimes, transnational DTOs, and firearms to foster safer neighborhoods.  The PSN team will focus its efforts on issues specific to the District, including transnational DTOs, gang violence, ghost guns, auto-switches and illegal silencers found in the District, repeat and habitual violent offenders; and geographic hot spots that have seen recent increases in violent crime rates. EDCA plans to continue to build on the established and successful enforcement and prosecution practices to combat violent crime.  The reduction of gang violence, transnational DTOs, and firearms, particularly ghost guns and auto-switches and silencers, will continue to be a focus of the program. The PSN team believes promoting innovative solutions to these specific issues, as well as violent and firearms crimes generally, include identifying advanced technology equipment and software to further support law enforcement to reduce violent crime and create safer communities.