Eastern District of Virginia 2008 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 takes a hard line against gun criminals, using every available means to create safer neighborhoods; seeks to achieve heightened coordination among federal, state, and local law enforcement; and 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 Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police, serving as the fiscal agent for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA), will use the grant to sustain prosecution initiatives in northern, central, and eastern Virginia. Specifically, dedicated Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys (SAUSAs) in Alexandria, Richmond, and Norfolk will prosecute violent and gang-related crime cases. The EDVA will emphasize gun trafficking and prosecuting straw purchases from areas surrounding Newport News to New York City. Special emphasis will be placed on firearms tracing and undercover investigations of illegal purchasers at gun shows in Alexandria and surrounding areas. Further, the EDVA will focus strategic planning efforts in Alexandria, Richmond, and Norfolk, where there is a particular need to target gun crimes and gangs involving juveniles. Goals will be achieved by increasing the number of cases developed for prosecution, increasing the number of convictions of these violent and gang-related criminals, and increasing the incarceration rate of these offenders.

NCA/NCF