Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2007, $345,657)
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.
Grand Valley State University will use its grant award to fund the expansion of components deemed critical in combating gang-related violence within the Western District of Michigan. Funds will be utilized specifically for enhancing current anti-gang strategies while also expanding efforts not presently within the capacity of district resources. Subsequent to funding, Grand Valley State University will disseminate a request for sub-grant proposals from within the District. Sub-recipient activities will be supported with grant funds with a preferred level of monetary support of $30,000 or more per applicant. It is anticipated that proposals will be comprised of agencies from all levels of government, to include city, county, state, tribal law enforcement and community-based organizations within the district.
The Anti-Gang Task Force within the District has established multiple areas of focus for this grant. These include the expansion of current programming such as community awareness modules to assist the public in identifying gang activity within their communities, as well as adult and/or juvenile education courses relative to gang intervention and prevention strategies, and conflict resolution. The grantee also will extend current strategies and programs targeting the investigation, apprehension and prosecution of gang members and gang-related gun crime. And finally, the Anti-Gang Initiative will support the advancement of the methods and intelligence technology utilized in applying scientific knowledge to assist in reducing and/or solving gang-related crimes, or identifying and targeting geographic areas known to have an elevated level of gang activity.
NCA/NCF