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 Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee serves as the fiscal agent for the Middle District of Tennessee's Fiscal Year 2007 Anti-Gang Initiative. Gang-related crime is increasing in Nashville, Davidson County, which are host to approximately 44 gangs and 3,000 gang members. Gang members are involved in crimes such as drug distribution, committing aggravated assaults and homicides, and black market weapons violations. To combat this situation, the District will utilize the Anti-Gang Initiative funds to provide a Special Assistant United States Attorney, who is a federally deputized state or local prosecutor, to assist in the coordination of state and federal investigations, and to prosecute cases in both state and federal court. The District believes that a new State's Attorney could be especially helpful in the prosecution of juveniles that contribute greatly to the gang problems. They will also fund a part-time project manager to address strategies designed to bring a greater number of gang cases for prosecution and coordinate the sharing of gang suppression intelligence, training, investigative, and identification techniques for this anti-gang initiative.

NCA/NCF