NH PSN Anti Gang Program

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 New Hampshire Department of Justice serves as the fiscal agent for the State of New Hampshire's Judicial District. The District's most significant and growing, gang problem is the influx of outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMG), into the state, and many have set up local chapters. With this, have come a significant number of violent confrontations between rival gangs. To combat this situation, the District will utilize its Fiscal Year 2007 Anti-Gang Initiative funds to implement its statewide strategy that includes law enforcement activities, training, education, and outreach designed to provide training for law enforcement and to support the dissemination of the youth related anti-gang message.

Specifically, the activities funded under the New Hampshire Anti-Gang Initiative include: 1) reducing gang activity through increased enforcement by increasing overtime anti-gang patrols in New Hampshire's largest population area; 2) increasing overtime patrols in response to the Bike Week Event, an OMG event; 3) increasing gang specific prosecution; 4) reducing gang activity through increased education for youth aimed at providing gang members with alternatives to gang involvement, such as athletic or self help activities; 5) expanding gang-related training and education for local law enforcement agencies and; 6) conducting media outreach efforts to provide anti-gang messages.

NCA/NCF