Establishing a Community Prosecution Team

The Recovery Act Edward Byrne Memorial Competitive Grant Program (Byrne Competitive Program) will help communities improve the capacity of state and local justice systems and provide for national support efforts including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address local needs. This competitive grant announcement focuses on initiatives in eight areas: 1) preventing and reducing violent crime through community-based data-driven approaches; 2) providing funding for neighborhood-based probation and parole officers; 3) reducing mortgage fraud and crime related to vacant properties; 4) hiring of civilian support personnel in law enforcement (training staff, analysts, dispatchers, etc.); 5) enhancing forensic and crime scene investigations; 6) improving resources and services for victims of crime; 7) supporting problem-solving courts; and 8) national training and technical assistance partnerships.

Under category 1, Wayne County will use the Fiscal Year 2009 Recovery Act Byrne Competitive funds to expand their Community Prosecution Team project. The project will effectively investigate violent crime, target violent criminals, and successfully prosecute perpetrators. It will achieve these goals through the deployment of experienced community prosecutors into the community and into police precincts to directly assist law enforcement investigations with all prosecutorial resources. The grant funds will be used to: (1) create a Community Prosecution Team dedicated to combating violent crime in Detroit and Wayne County; (2) use crime statistical analyses to identify most dangerous areas and defendants for allocation of Unit resources and vertical prosecution; (3) coordinate with all local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in prosecution of perpetrators of violent crime; (4) collaborate with all local, neighborhood and other community groups in prosecution of perpetrators of violent crime negatively effecting assigned areas; and (5) successfully prosecute violent crimes, including gun and gang related violence, occurring in Detroit and Wayne County. The grantee will assign Community Prosecutors outside of the courtroom to work directly with law enforcement investigators and Detectives. The on-site Community Prosecutor will assist in all phases of police investigations including, review and authorization of search warrants, authorization of arrest warrants on violent crime cases, interview witnesses as necessary, assist in obtaining intelligence from violent offenders, participate in strategy sessions at the particular District, conduct Investigative Subpoenas to obtain witness testimony, and attend regular meetings at the Precincts or Districts. Community Prosecutor will be assigned to attend important post-conviction proceedings involving targeted violent defendants to advocate strict compliance with sentence terms, probation conditions and/or parole violations.

CA/NCF