Continuation Support for the Metro Gang Task Force

The Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program, administered by the Office of Justice Programs' (OJP's) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), furthers the Department's mission by assisting state and local jurisdictions in improving the criminal justice system and assisting communities in preventing drug abuse and crime. In fiscal year 2007, the Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program will focus on funding local, regional, and national efforts within six major categories: 1) targeting violent crime; 2) preventing crime and drug abuse; 3) enhancing local law enforcement; 4) enhancing local courts; 5) enhancing local corrections and offender reentry; and 6) facilitating justice information sharing. All categories combat, address, or otherwise respond to precipitous or extraordinary increases in crime, or in a type or types of crime.

The Aurora Police Department will use the 2007 Targeting Violent Crime Initiative award to continue the work of the Metro Gang Task Force Unit. The purpose of the task force is to target organized gangs through long-term investigations in the Denver/Aurora metropolitan area that are distributing and selling narcotics, in particular crack cocaine and methamphetamine. The task force will target mid- and upper-level members of gangs for arrest and prosecution, utilizing the combined resources of local, state, and federal agencies to appropriately incapacitate violent gang drug organizations and, in turn, reduce the violent crime associated with the drug trade.

CA/CF