Enhancing Street Level Drug and Firearms Enforcement Project

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 Guam Bureau of Statistics and Planning will use this FY 2007 Targeting Violent Crime Initiative award for the Violent Street Crimes Task Force. The task force will conduct operations geared towards the reduction of armed violent crimes and the cost of crime to the community by identifying, investigating, and recommending for prosecution in local or federal court those individuals who use or carry firearms. This program also seeks to utilize the criminal intelligence generated through the arrests of armed career criminals and armed drug traffickers to create or enhance illegal firearms trafficking leads. The Guam Police Department entered into a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to address problems involving illegal weapons.

CA/CF