FY 07 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 California Governor's Office of Emergency Services serves as the fiscal agent for the Central District of California's Fiscal Year 2007 Anti-Gang Initiative. Criminal street gangs in the Central District of California (CDCA) are entrenched in the neighborhoods, and they are territorial. Often the gangs are multi-generational collections of adults, who are committed to the long-term success and continued existence of the gang through the recruitment of juveniles. The significant development in the street gang problem over the past decade has been the trend toward increasing organization and violence of the gangs. The street gangs have been increasing in numbers outside of Los Angeles County, and have become entrenched in Ventura County, Orange County, Santa Barbara County, San Bernardino County, and Riverside County, within the CDCA. The goal of the CDCA is to reduce gang criminal activity through increased enforcement, that is, by funding law enforcement and prosecution resources. The Anti-Gang Initiative grant will allow the CDCA to award 17 sub-recipients to fund law enforcement and prosecution personnel and equipment which serve to enhance intervention efforts. CDCA District will fund deputy district attorneys, inspectors, and police officers to work with established gang units. The deputy district attorneys will be responsible for vertically prosecuting gang and gun cases both in adult and juvenile court. The inspectors will work the deputy district attorneys and other agencies in coordinating prosecution efforts. Police officers will coordinate and arrest 'Buy Bust' operations in targeted areas.

NCA/CF