Project Safe Neighborhoods / Anti-Gang 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 Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force for the Northern District of Alabama will continue to focus on the coordination of existing gun violence reduction services and prosecution through a three-pronged strategy aimed at identifying and monitoring serious, violent, and chronic youth offenders who commit multiple felony offenses, reducing access to illegal guns, and expediting judicial response to offenders involved in gun related cases. Through the grant, the funding of prosecutors with the state's Office of the Attorney General will continue. The prosecutors will be cross-designated in order to have the flexibility of prosecuting gun related violent crimes in the courts with the stiffest penalty. In addition, partnerships will be developed with local authorities in order to implement programs aimed at increased gun related violent crime convictions. Coordination of the Creating Opportunity Maps to Promote Achievement and Shared Success (COMPASS) anti-gang initiative will also be initiated, and will involve federal, state, and local partnerships that will combat youth violence and delinquency. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs will serve as the fiscal agent for this award.

NCA/NCF