Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2007, $514,494)
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 State of South Carolina Department of Public Safety ' Office of Justice Programs will utilize the Anti-Gang Initiative funding to enhance its current gang prevention and enforcement initiatives. South Carolina's gang problems have expanded from youth gangs involved in schoolyard brawls to aging gang members continuing their affiliation and escalating their criminal involvement. The majority of gang-related crime relates to drug trafficking and violent crimes associated with drug trafficking. To combat this, and other gang-related crimes, South Carolina will address three specific funding priorities: 1) gang crime investigation/suppression; 2) prevention/education programs; and 3) data sharing/gathering. Together, these programs will target perpetrators of gang-related crimes, enhance multi-agency cooperation, conduct adult and/or juvenile prevention and education courses, enhance the development of a district-wide gang database, and conduct an empirical study on the current status of gangs and gang activity in the district. In addition, South Carolina may also consider funding innovative projects outside the three priorities, specified above, to reduce gang violence.
NCA/NCF