Anti-Gang Initiative

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 Maine Department of Public Safety will use the FY 2007 Anti-Gang Initiative funds to address the predominant gang problem in Maine which is Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMG). Law enforcement agencies report that membership in OMGs is increasing and gang members are becoming bolder and more violent. Recent crimes committed by OMGs include aggravated assaults, narcotics trafficking, firearms related offenses, illegal gambling, and criminal threatening. The Maine Department of Public Safety will use the grant funds to: provide gang training opportunities for state and local law enforcement; establish a formalized gang related information sharing mechanism specific to their district; expand and support of one of their existing task forces as it begins to focus investigative efforts on anti-gang activities; and fund grant contracts supporting anti-gang efforts in Maine.

NCA/NCF