FY 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 Fund for the City of New York, serving as the fiscal agent for the Southern District of New York, will use the grant to continue implementing a comprehensive approach of law enforcement and prevention efforts to combat the significant gang and gun crime problems in the area.

The grant will fund activities in Yonkers, Newburgh, Mount Vernon, Poughkeepsie, and Spring Valley. Yonkers will provide overtime funds for a school resource officer to be deployed to designated neighborhoods where shots fired incidents are reported. Westhab, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides affordable housing and social services programs, will hire a full-time gang prevention coordinator to work in collaboration with the Yonkers Police Department on Operation Ceasefire to provide safe and appropriate alternatives to youth who want to leave gangs. NADAP, a non-profit employment assistance organization, will work with Westhab to provide a lawful alternative to criminal behavior, including employment readiness assessments, individual employment plans, academic and skills training, and job placement.

The Newburgh Police Department will direct officer interdiction teams in an overtime capacity to target street-level criminal activity during days and times of the highest frequency in identified target areas. The Mount Vernon Police Department will enhance its Field Intelligence Unit. Field Intelligence Officers (FIOs) are responsible for the development and sharing of crime data and intelligence, and funding will allow for further growth of FIO operations, bringing officers closer to the epicenter of gun-related violence. FIOs and school resource officers will be deployed in designated neighborhoods where the greatest numbers of shots fired incidents are reported.

Poughkeepsie will support the staff from the Poughkeepsie Housing Authority's New Hope Community Center, who provide after school programming to at-risk youth, elementary through middle school age. Spring Valley will fund a part-time after care worker from the Positive Alternatives to School Suspensions (PASS) Program, who will provide outreach and follow-up with at-risk youth, their families, and school personnel.

NCA/NCF