Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2007, $154,611)
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 Montgomery Area United Way will use Anti-Gang Initiative funding to support the Middle District of Alabama. Funds will be directed to support the suppression, intervention, and prevention of gang activity in the following three Weed and Seed sites located in the Middle District: Montgomery (CrimeStoppers), Dothan (Street SMART), and Geneva (Street SMART). The initiatives will focus on 1) education, prevention, and community partnerships, 2) enforcement, prosecution, and investigation of gang members and 3) all Anti-Gang projects will be required to have measurable goals and objectives for youth completing program requirements. The projects funded will include CrimeStoppers, SAYNO, and Street SMART.
The CrimeStoppers program gathers criminal information by offering an anonymous 24-hour tip-line to assist law enforcement agencies identify gang related activity. The program also has a school component called C.L.A.S.S. (Character, Leadership, Academics, Social Skills and Service) that addresses gangs and gang-related crime. The SAYNO program operates in neighborhoods where Boys and Girls Clubs are not available and offers a variety of services to residents, youth, and community service providers by helping to identify and address neighborhood problems such as crime, drugs, truancy, and gangs. Street SMART is a comprehensive gang resistance and gun violence reduction program that utilizes instruction, skill-building activities, parent involvement and community support to deter gang involvement and crime. It was also designed to create an awareness of gangs and gang related activity that negatively impacts the community. The Middle District anticipates that these efforts will combat the spread of gang activity.
NCA/NCF