North Texas Crime Commission FY2007 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 United States Attorney's Office (USAO) for Texas' Northern District oversees three major metropolitan areas: Dallas, Arlington, and Fort Worth. The USAO works closely with law enforcement and community members in each city, as a result of prior PSN endeavors, Weed and Seed initiatives, the Six-City Anti-Gang Initiative, and other similar efforts. Recently, community stakeholders identified the City of Arlington as a new target area for anti-gang efforts due to the City's high crime rates. The District's anti-gang strategy will focus on combating gun, gang, and violent crimes in these three areas via a three-prong approach involving law enforcement, schools, and communities.

Specifically, this project will entail various sub-awards to the following jurisdictions and agencies: (1) Fort Worth Police Department (fund officer overtime and equipment for suppression efforts); (2) Forth Worth, Dallas, and Grand Prairie (fund overtime to participate in the Dallas/Forth Worth Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team Task Force); (3) Positive Passages (provide gang prevention, education, and intervention efforts in a minimum of 10 schools); (4) Phoenix House, Promise House, and Santa Fe Adolescent Services (implement a youth prevention program in various targeted areas); (5) 2-Points Ferguson Road Weed and Seed (continue life skills education program); and (6) Safe City Commission (implement a media campaign comprised of PSAs, billboards, brochures, etc.).

NCA/NCF