Safe Street Team Evaluation and Operation Ceasefire Re-Invigoration and Expansion Project

This program is funded under both the Edward Byrne Memorial Competitive Grant Program (Byrne Competitive Program) and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. Authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2009 (Pub. L. 111-8), the Byrne Competitive Program helps local communities improve the capacity of state and local justice systems and provides for national support efforts including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address local needs. The JAG Program (42 U.S.C. 3751(a)) is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions, and JAG funds support all components of the criminal justice system.

The Smart Policing Initiative seeks to build upon the concepts of 'offender-based' and 'place-based' policing and broaden the knowledge of effective policing strategies. The most convincing research demonstrates that 'place-based' or 'hotspot' policing reduces violent crime and neighborhood disorder. This initiative address the need for effective policing that requires a tightly focused, collaborative approach that is measurable, based on sound, detailed analysis and includes policies and procedures for accountability.

The Boston Police Department (BPD), in partnership with Dr. Anthony A. Braga of Harvard University, proposes a 'smart policing' research and development project with an overall goal to enhance and expand current evidence-based police responses to Boston's continuing gun violence problem and understand 'what works' in dealing with gun violence in Boston. The BPD will expand upon two critical initiatives: (1) Safe Street Teams ' hot spot police problem solving and prevention through in-depth analysis of local problems in gun violence hot spots; and (2) Operation Ceasefire ' a focus on high risk individuals by drawing from lessons learned from the Chicago Project Neighborhoods and High Point, North Carolina initiatives. Insights gained from the strategic problem analysis process will be used to continue developing a comprehensive set of responses to gang violence in Boston, and evaluate their effectiveness. Key activities and deliverables will include ongoing problem analysis in the hot spot areas to understand the underlying conditions, situations, and dynamics that cause gun crime; implementation of Safe Street Teams and Operation Ceasefire program expansions and refinements based on in-depth problem analysis; comprehensive assessments to understand whether violent crime problems are being alleviated in these areas as a result; and documentation of programming and assessments for dissemination and replication.

CA/NCF