Anti-Gang Initiative Eastern District

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 California Governor's Office of Emergency Services serves as the fiscal agent for Eastern District of California's Fiscal Year 2007 Anti-Gang Initiative (AGI). Gangs in the district have committed multiple firearms related crimes such as homicide and assault, and are involved in drug trafficking. The District will use its grant to fund gang enforcement and youth violence prevention programs and the Selection Committee chose the Sutter County District Attorney and Sheriff, Fresno Crime Stoppers, the Yolo County District Attorney, the Tehama County District Attorney, the Stanislaus County District Attorney, the Modesto Police Department, the City of Modesto, and the City of Sacramento and the Police Department for these efforts. In addition, the Fresno Crime Stoppers, Modesto Police Department, and Sutter County Sheriff's Office will be involved in the planning and implementation process of each AGI program.

The City of Sacramento and the Police Department will create an Anti-Gang Director position to implement prevention and intervention techniques for 'at-risk' youth within the City of Sacramento. The funding at Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office will pay for one year's salary for an investigator to help increase the number of prosecutions of illegal federal firearms licensees selling guns to felons and gang enhancement prosecutions under California law. In addition, the U.S. Attorney's Office is working with the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office to cross-designate a Deputy District Attorney to prosecute felons caught with firearms in federal court to leverage higher sentencing exposure.

The Modesto Police Department will continue funding a member of the Central Valley Gang Impact Task Force. This Task Force has a proven track record of coordination with federal agencies to target active gang members for state and federal prosecution. The Modesto Police Department also will receive one-year's salary for its Gang Reduction Strategic Coordinator. This position is a full-time police officer assigned to the Central Valley Gang Impact Task Force who will participate in the Weed and Seed program, manage two pending gang injunctions, plan sweeps aimed at taking guns from gang members, and provide gang prevention training in local schools and in the Modesto community.

The District Attorney's Offices in Tehama County and Sutter County will fund dedicated investigators to supplement anti-gang task forces and prosecutions already underway in each jurisdiction. In addition, funding for the Sutter County Sheriff's Department will pay for overtime sweeps conducted by the Yuba Sutter Anti Gang Enforcement (YSAGE) team. The purpose of the YSAGE sweeps is to seize, disrupt, and prevent gang violence before it occurs by catching and prosecuting gang members for drug trafficking, firearms violations, and parole/probation violations.

The U.S. Attorney's Office will host a conference in 2008 to compare programs that were most successful in implementing the AGI goals of gang enforcement and youth prevention.

NCA/NCF