Project Safe Neighborhood: Gun Crimes in the Southern District of Georgia

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.

Savannah Technical College will serve as the fiscal agent for the Southern District of Georgia's FY07 PSN grant. The District has experienced an increase in crimes committed by gangs, including serial burglaries and thefts of firearms, carjackings, gun trafficking, and drug trafficking, an increasing number of which involve juveniles. To combat the spread of gun violence, the District will utilize the PSN funds to address gun crime in the metropolitan areas of Savannah, Brunswick, and Augusta. Specifically, the funds will be used to: 1) provide Spanish classes to law enforcement officers; 2) collect data to identify criminal activity and implement enhanced crime mapping; 3) acquire communications devices to maintain rapport with PSN partners; and 4) continue a media outreach program that focuses on anti-gun messages. The District will also partner with Augusta State University to provide statistical and social science data to combat criminal activity in the most effective means possible.

NCA/NCF