FY 2007 Anti-Gang Initiative (Southern District U. S. Attorney's Office)

The Anti-Gang Initiative provides funds to support new or expanded anti-gang enforcement and prevention efforts under the existing Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Initiative. These new funds may be used by the PSN task force to combat gangs by leveraging current strategies and partnerships developed under PSN initiatives or may be used to develop new anti-gang initiatives. The Anti-Gang initiative will be led by the United States Attorney in each of the 94 federal judicial districts across America. Grant funds will be awarded to a single fiscal agent in each of the 94 districts. The fiscal agent, in coordination with the PSN task force, will allocate the funds throughout the community to support the anti-gang initiative in that community.

The Mississippi Division of Public Safety Planning serves as the fiscal agent for the Southern District's FY 2007 Anti-Gang Initiative Program. The two part plan for the district's anti-gang initiative includes a prevention and prosecution component. The preventative elements will allow the district to cut off the flow of young people to Jackson, Mississippi's street gangs. The program focuses on at-risk youth and gives them membership to the Boys & Girls Club in the area, mentors from area colleges and 100 Black Men, life skills programming from the Boys & Girls Club and 100 Black Men, guidance from the Department of Human Services regarding programs available to families of the participants, and parenting classes. The prosecution element will attempt to improve law enforcement's knowledge of the gang structure and gang activity in Jackson and other metropolitan areas. Local law enforcement agents will receive training in gathering intelligence on gangs and the necessary tools to combat gang violence. Grant funds will be utilized to fund personnel to support the Boys and Girls Club intervention program; cover costs associated with the law enforcement training; make equipment purchases and develop, print, and update flip charts of gang signs, symbols and logos to be distributed to law enforcement in an effort to strengthen intelligence gathering; and fund a media campaign to promote awareness of the gang problems that plague the Southern District of Mississippi. The fiscal agent has budgeted 10 percent of the award for administrative costs.

NCA/NCF