Anti-Gang Initiative/Southern District of Florida

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 Miami Coalition for a Safe and Drug Free Community will administer the FY 2007 Anti-Gang Initiative funds for the Southern District of Florida. The Southern District's initiatives, for 2007, focus on enhancing law enforcement cooperation and collaboration in activities aimed at reducing criminal activity in specific geographic ("hot spot") areas. Prevention and intervention strategies will be aimed at young people (less than 25 years of age) and their peers who live in or are affected by the criminal gang and firearms activity in the designated hot spot areas. Funds will be used to conduct the following activities: 1) increasing the federal presence in prosecutions while strengthening the cooperative bond between federal, state, and local authorities by funding the designation of seven Assistant State Attorneys as Special Assistant United States Attorneys, dedicated to Project Safe Neighborhoods and Anti-Gang cases throughout the District; 2) funding local law enforcement agencies that demonstrate evidence-based law enforcement programming for reducing gang activity and gun crime reduction within the Southern District; and 3) supporting organizations that provide educational presentations and materials to the community regarding the dangers of criminal gangs. The prevention strategy also seeks to provide productive, enriching alternative activities, coupled with life skills training, to empower young people to effectively resist the lure of the gang lifestyle.

NCA/NCF