FY09 Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide commitment to reducing gun crime, links existing local programs together and provides them with necessary tools. PSN 1) takes a hard line against gun criminals, using every available means to create safer neighborhoods; 2) seeks to achieve heightened coordination among federal, state, and local law enforcement; and 3) 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 New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, serving as the fiscal agent for the District of New Jersey, will use the grant to combat both gun and gang violence. The prosecutor's offices for the counties of Camden, Essex, Hudson, and Mercer will each use the grant to fund an assistant prosecutor who will spend their time dedicated to the prosecution of PSN cases. In addition, Mercer and Passaic Counties will support its juvenile PSN component, selecting high-risk juveniles (gang affiliated or violent crime offenders) to receive enhanced supervision during non-traditional hours through partnerships with police, probation, and parole officers. The targeted juveniles will be placed in an intensive case management system that provides the juveniles with a wide range of social services.

NCA/NCF