Massachusetts Youth and Strategic Crime Gang Initiative

The Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program (Byrne Discretionary Program) helps local communities improve the capacity of local justice systems and provides for national support efforts. This project is authorized and funded through a line item in the FY 08 Congressional Budget. Funds should be used for purposes recommended by Congress.

The City of Boston Police Department will enhance their two collaborative violence prevention initiatives: Operation Homefront Program and the Operation Night Light Program. The overall purposes of the programs are to balance elements of prevention, intervention, and enforcement to target youth violence and gang involvement. The programs specifically target youth at-risk that become involved in gangs and violent activity, schools with an immediate risk of violent conflict amongst youth, and system-involved youth that are high-risk probationers who are likely to re-offend. The Boston Police Department will conduct presentations at schools and conduct home visits with high-risk or at-risk youth. The intervention strategy will consist of working with youth already in the criminal justice system. They will conduct home visits with high risk and defaulting probationers and provide community based service provider referrals. The long term goal of these projects is to end the cycle of gang involvement and violence in the City of Boston.

NCA/NCF