FY 2007 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 Crime Commission of Delaware Valley, serving as the fiscal agent for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, will utilize the Fiscal Year 2007 Anti-Gang Initiative grant to support law enforcement efforts to combat youth and gang violence in the nine counties that compose the Eastern District. The goal of the initiative is to reduce gang related crime through both proactive efforts supported by enforcement planning coordinated with federal, state, and local law enforcement and informed by data and real-time intelligence. The activities, funded under this grant, will include identifying all of the major existing gangs in Philadelphia; increasing the number of gang prosecutions in Philadelphia by 20 percent; and working with local community groups to perform outreach education regarding the dangers of firearms and the penalties associated with federal prosecution. Specifically, the grant will fund two prosecutors who are cross designated to prosecute cases in Federal courts, a part-time legal assistant, and an honors paralegal assigned to the Philadelphia Detective Division Working Groups, who will prepare materials to facilitate the indictment and prosecution of gang members emerging out of the working groups.

NCA/NCF