Project Safe Neighborhoods - Northern District of Illinois - FY24

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois (NDIL) Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force has a collaborative, comprehensive strategy to address all four PSN Design Features which includes activity related to gun trafficking, gun and gang violence, prosecution, felon recidivism, and youth violence intervention and prevention in Chicago and Rockford during the project period of October 1, 2024, to September 31, 2027. In Chicago, the focus is on the seven most violent police districts: South Shore, Englewood, Back of the Yards, Lawndale, Garfield Park, Austin, and Auburn/Gresham. Rockford will address citywide crime reduction. The overarching goal is to prevent crime before it happens by targeting high-risk individuals and areas. Additionally, the NDIL has a research partner as a member of the PSN Task Force not funded under PSN. 

Building on previous PSN efforts, Fiscal Year 2024 funds will be used to increase awareness of procedural justice, reduce violent crime, and strengthen interagency collaboration through strategic enforcement and prosecution. The project will concentrate on strategic enforcement and prevention in both cities. Key activities include: 1) Parolee Forums and compliance checks for high-risk offenders, and 2) Increased prosecutions in Chicago in direct collaboration with the Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC).

Funds will also be used to support the Illinois Department of Corrections to address high-risk, gang-involved parolees in target areas, and the Cook County State's Attorney's Office to enhance prosecutions through the CGIC. The prosecutor assigned to the CGIC will be designated as a Special Assistant United States Attorney, focusing on high-impact offenders to reduce gang activity.