Eastern District of N.C. - Project Safe Neighborhoods 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 North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety serves as the fiscal agent for the Eastern District of North Carolina's 2007 Anti-Gang Initiative.

The District is faced with an increase in gang and violent crime activity. For example, in Raleigh/Wake County, a recent firearms study showed that guns were used to commit approximately 670 violent crimes in 2005, including homicides, robberies, aggravated assaults, rapes, and sexual assaults. Data also showed a connection between guns, gangs, and drugs, and many of the victims and suspects in shootings had ties to youth gangs.

To combat this situation, the District has identified target areas to utilize its Anti-Gang Initiative award. Funds will be used to conduct the following activities: 1) Henderson/Vance County will sponsor basketball games staffed by local law enforcement officers for both security and to interact with the area youth and citizens; 2) The N.E.W. community (Nash, Edgecombe, and Wilson Counties) will conduct a community outreach project to develop localized posters, brochures, and public service announcements addressing PSN; 3) Staff in the N.E.W. agencies will attend state training courses which will help officers keep up with changes in laws and network with other successful agencies; 4) The New Hanover Sheriff's Office will fund two community resource coordinator positions to provide support to the gang unit officers; and 5) Raleigh/Wake County will provide overtime to officers for specialized enforcement involving the suppression of gangs and the illegal use of firearms.

NCA/NCF