Northern District of Ohio - PSN 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 Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services, serving as the fiscal agent for the Northern District of Ohio, will use the grant for the Summit County Sheriff's Office to continue the Fugitive Safe Surrender program and to continue the agency's PSN crime analyst positions. Summit County implemented the Fugitive Safe Surrender program in 2007 when more than 1,100 persons surrendered, and this initiative will be continued. Grant funds will be used to support Summit County's personnel costs so that deputies, dispatchers, prosecutors, court personnel, law students, and attorneys from the legal defender's office will be able to participate in Fugitive Safe Surrender. The crime analyst positions will continue to support gun violence reduction strategies and intelligence-led policing. Specifically, funding will allow continued support and training for local police personnel and completion of specific analytical tasks for eight Northern District of Ohio police agencies. The ability to compile and analyze complex crime and criminal network data is essential to reducing gun violence in the district.

NCA/NCF