Get Gangs Out Through Community Outreach & Police Patrols

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 City of Atlanta will implement their Get Gangs Out Through Community Outreach & Police Patrols Project under Category 1: Targeting Violent Crime. They will fund overtime hours for police officers at the Atlanta Police Department and purchase video surveillance cameras for high crime zones to reduce violent crime and gang activity in target areas. The Atlanta Police Department will partner with federal agencies to develop intelligence identifying drug distribution, and violent crime areas. They will distribute posters, flyers, brochures and other methods to communicate the goals of the project to residents.

CA/NCF