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 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 Delaware Criminal Justice Council, serving as the fiscal agent for the District of Delaware, will use the grant to fund investigative activities conducted by the PSN task force. The PSN task force seeks to expand the PSN activities to include preventative services to youth, along with continuing development of law enforcement statewide intelligence of gang graffiti and gang presence in the state. The PSN task force elected to fund three different programs in order to expand the task force's current arrest and prosecution success. The selected programs are the Delaware Safe Neighborhoods Teen Summit, Understanding Gang Graffiti, and the Anti-Gang Initiative. The primary goal of the Delaware Teen Summit is to empower at-risk, 11-15 year old females throughout the city of Wilmington with knowledge and skills, thereby increasing self-esteem. The primary goal of the Understanding Gang Graffiti is to photograph and document any graffiti that is illustrated on various structures in an effort to interpret the reason why it was placed in a specific location. The primary goal of the Anti-Gang Initiative is to confirm the total number of gangs within the state and confirm the identity of the active gang members along with identifying the geographical locations where the gangs are operating or residing. The goals of all three projects will create safer neighborhoods by using preventative efforts of the youth summit, interpreting the graffiti, and identifying gang members and will indirectly reduce the occurrence of violent gang-related incidents through both reactive and proactive efforts.

NCA/NCF