Street Violence Prevention Group 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 City of Worcester will use its Fiscal Year 2007 Byrne Discretionary Category 1: Targeting Violent Crime Grant award to support the Street Violence Prevention Group Project (SVPG), which is comprised of various local, Commonwealth, and federal law enforcement agencies. The SPVG focuses on the systematic reduction of the number of street gun violence incidents, apprehension of active violent offenders, and gang intervention through this criminal justice interagency program. The SVPG will attain its goals through: a comprehensive and rigorous investigation of each and every shooting incident to determine the person(s) responsible for that behavior; successful investigation of violent street crime that results in the identification, apprehension, arrest, and conviction of persons perpetrating those behaviors; enhanced tracing and research of unlawful firearm sources; and increased cooperation of victims and witnesses of violent street crime.

CA/NCF