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FY 2008 Project Safe Neighboorhoods Initiative

Award Information

Award #
2008-GP-CX-0068
Location
Awardee County
Walker
Congressional District
Status
Closed
Funding First Awarded
2008
Total funding (to date)
$324,981

Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2008, $324,981)

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.

Sam Houston State University, serving as the fiscal agent for the Southern District of Texas, will use the grant to support the gun crime reduction and gang prevention initiatives described in the following sentences. Harris County Juvenile Probation Department will provide the Gang Caseload Unit with electronic monitoring that has global positioning system capability to better supervise gang-involved youth who reside in Harris County and protect the public from high-risk gang-involved juvenile offenders. Harris County Sheriff's Office Regional Firearms Identification Laboratory will fund officer overtime to work on approximately 635 firearms cases.

Houston Police Department ' Southeast Division will work to reduce gang activity and gun-related crimes. Police officers will work overtime to decrease criminal street gang activity and gun crimes by vigorously investigating gang-related incidents, targeting known gang members, conducting zero tolerance initiatives in high crime areas, and identifying and prosecuting the source of crime guns. Laredo Housing Authority will fund a resident services coordinator, who will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of their gang and gun prevention initiative. The coordinator will develop partnerships with the law enforcement community, judicial system, and service providers in the area to deliver gun and gang violence education and awareness to the youth and parents of Laredo, and will implement gang and gun violence prevention and intervention activities with at-risk youth residing in and around public housing developments.

The Pasadena Police Department will fund overtime for its Gang Crimes Unit to target gang members. Texas City Police Department will provide overtime funds for an officer to update databases and timelines to coordinate, verify, document, and maintain files of gang members. This officer will be the contact person for information concerning gang member identification and activities.

NCA/NCF

Date Created: August 24, 2008