SAFEWAYS 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 Shelby County Government will support the SAFEWAYS Project under Category 1: Targeting Violent Crime. The Shelby County Sheriff's Office and Memphis Police Department will work in collaboration with the U.S Attorney's Office, U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to implement the SAFEWAYS project, an intelligence-led policing strategy to suppress violent crime in apartment complexes and adjacent areas. The goals of the project are to: 1) enhance information sharing and analysis through the Memphis Police Department's regional Real Time Crime Center; 2) reduce violent crime in apartment complexes and neighboring areas; 3) implement a model for citizen-law enforcement collaboration to maintain reductions in violent crime; and 4) counter displacement of violent crime into unincorporated areas adjacent to targeted areas. The project will involve enhancing crime analysis and mapping capability, improving data quality and developing new data sources, and upgrading AFIS. Law enforcement will conduct focused repeat offender investigations, directed patrols, and focused traffic enforcement in the targeted areas. Enhanced community policing efforts will be partnered with an innovative community building strategy to maintain reductions in violent crime.

CA/NCF