Oregon Project Safe Neighborhoods Program

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 Multnomah County District Attorney's Office, serving as the fiscal agent for the District of Oregon, will use the grant to reduce gang and gun violence within the state. Projects will specifically focus on anti-gang efforts, with an emphasis on a juvenile strategy. The goals are to prosecute juveniles for firearms possession and use of firearms in order to provide for community safety and promote deterrence, and to continue with the comprehensive use of the current anti-gang deterrence strategy. The Beaverton Police Department will continue its anti-gang efforts through prevention in the schools and delivery of the Gang Resistance and Education Training (G.R.E.A.T.) curriculum, target patrols, gang detail overtime, and enhanced officer presence at the middle and high schools. The Hillsboro Police Department will continue to fund overtime for additional police officers at four high schools to provide specific youth-oriented policing services with an emphasis on gang behavior. The Portland Police Bureau will fund a Youth Engagement Council, which will open communication with youth in the community, as well as engage and empower youth with anti-gang strategies. The Milwaukie Police Department will fund overtime for undercover graffiti operations, after-school mentoring and counseling for at-risk youth and their families, and undercover surveillance of outlaw motorcycle gangs. The Department of Community Justice, Juvenile Services Division, will identify high-risk, gang-involved youth who are currently on probation and are at-risk to re-offend. The funds will also support community outreach to provide information for the youths' parents and will use culturally appropriate service providers to facilitate meetings for discussions on gang awareness, prevention, alcohol and drug services, mental health services, and educational advocacy. The Multnomah County District Attorney's Office will allow the PSN prosecutor to continue the implementation and maintenance of two projects aimed at prosecuting adults who give guns to youth.

NCA/NCF