2009 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 Northeast Council of Governments, serving as the fiscal agent for the District of South Dakota, will use the grant to fund a Special Assistant United States Attorney (SAUSA) to increase prosecution of firearms offenses and gang-related criminal activity, particularly on the Rosebud and Pine Ridge Indian reservations. The SAUSA will be hired through the South Dakota Attorney General's Office and will be authorized to act on the behalf of the South Dakota Attorney General's Office in state matters and on behalf of the United States in federal matters. Duties will include working with law enforcement, directing criminal investigations, presenting matters to Grand Juries, drafting legal documents, and preparing for and conducting jury trials and other significant court proceedings. Funds will also support an anti-gang conference to be held in Sioux Falls in 2010. This conference will be open to law enforcement throughout South Dakota and the neighboring states of Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska. The one-day conference will provide training on Native American gangs, prison gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, effective enforcement strategies, and intelligence sharing. PSN funds will be used to hire consultants to make presentations on their criminal gang experience and success in reducing criminal gang activity, with an emphasis in rural and tribal settings. Funds will also pay for lodging, travel, and other associated expenses for the conference for law enforcement members in small rural communities with limited budgets.

NCA/NCF