Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide commitment to reducing gun crime, links existing local programs together and provides them with necessary tools. PSN 1) takes a hard line against gun criminals, using every available means to create safer neighborhoods; 2) seeks to achieve heightened coordination among federal, state, and local law enforcement; and 3) emphasizes tactical intelligence gathering, more aggressive prosecutions, and enhanced accountability through performance measures. The United States Attorney in each federal judicial district will lead the offensive. The fiscal agent, in coordination with the PSN Task Force, will allocate funds throughout the community.

The District of Massachusetts will utilize their Fiscal Year 2008 PSN grant funds to continue and expand its training, research, and media and community outreach efforts in the cities of Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford, Springfield, and Worcester. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety, acting as fiscal agent, will administer the funds dedicated to these efforts. Stop Handgun Violence will conduct a media campaign consisting of: 1) the production and distribution of various media and outreach materials with a deterrence message aimed at at-risk youth; 2) the production and distribution of handout materials for law enforcement personnel with changes in state and federal law for gun and other violent crimes; and 3) the holding of a hip-hop songwriting contest in Boston which challenges local songwriters to produce and perform songs with a non-violence message. The District will continue and expand its research of the targeted cities in order to strategically allocate law enforcement and prosecution efforts on those offenders, times, and places that are responsible for the majority of the gun and gang violence problems, as well as to hold those communities accountable for results through the creation of a uniform assessment tool. The District also plans to expand its training opportunities by offering at least two trainings for law enforcement and prosecution on such topics as characteristics of armed offenders, firearms identification, firearms tracing, hidden compartments, federal firearms laws, and interviewing techniques, as well as to hold its annual Anti-Gang Summit for law enforcement, prosecution, and community prevention partners.

NCA/NCF