Anti-Gang Initiative, Prosecution and Law Enforcement Programs

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 Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police serves as the fiscal agent for the Eastern District of Virginia's (EDVA) Anti-Gang Initiative Program. The Eastern District will use the FY 2007 award to partner with local and state law enforcement agencies to identify and define the gang problem in EDVA and to build and support investigative tools that take account of the multi-jurisdictional nature of some gangs through the implementation of projects in the Chesapeake, Richmond, and Petersburg Divisions. Grant funds will allow the Chesapeake Commonwealth Attorney's Office to hire an experienced prosecutor in their violent crimes unit who will be cross-designated to the Chesapeake Division of the United States Attorney's Office to provide additional prosecution resources to combat violent gang activity and illegal possession of firearms. The Office of the Attorney General in Richmond will hire a prosecutor, handling gang and gun cases, to be cross-designated as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the prosecution of gang and violent gun-related crimes in the state and federal courts for the Eastern District. The fiscal agent will utilize 10 percent of the total allocation for administrative purposes.

NCA/NCF