Project Safe Neighborhoods FY 2007

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide commitment to reducing gun crime, links existing local programs together and provides them with necessary tools. PSN 1) takes a hard line against gun criminals, using every available means to create safer neighborhoods; 2) seeks to achieve heightened coordination among federal, state, and local law enforcement; and 3) emphasizes tactical intelligence gathering, more aggressive prosecutions, and enhanced accountability through performance measures. The United States Attorney in each federal judicial district will lead the offensive. The fiscal agent, in coordination with the PSN Task Force, will allocate funds throughout the community.

The Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement will use the PSN award to support proactive and reactive approaches to reduce the occurrence of violent gun crime within the Western District of Louisiana.

The Western District's grant selection committee has selected the following organizations to receive PSN grant funds: 1) the 16th Judicial District Attorney's Office will hire a PSN coordinator to act as a liaison and assist with community awareness of the PSN program; 2) 15th Judicial District Court will provide funding to the Choose Life, End Violence, Earn Respect (C.L.E.V.E.R.) program which educates school students on how to avoid dangerous situations and provides intervention programs for juvenile offenders; 3) Lake Charles Police Department will fund overtime for detectives assisting in the coordination of firearms offenses with Federal agencies; 4) Volunteers for Youth Justice and Think First of Ark-La-Tex, through their 'Stop and Think First' program, will provide sixth grade students with a curriculum in preventive violence education; and the 5) Shreveport Police Department and Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office will fund law enforcement officer overtime for surveillance and undercover operations to target, arrest, and prosecute major gun crime offenders.

NCA/NCF