Expansion and Enhancement of Community Anti-Gang Initiative

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, Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners will use the Fiscal Year 2009 Recovery Act Byrne Competitive funds to support the Tampa/Hillsborough Community Anti-Gang Expansion and Enhancement (CAGEE) with the Safe Neighborhood Family Violence Treatment (SNFVT) Program. The goals of the project are to enhance the program by: (1) diversionary options through the addition of five full-time positions to offer intense and targeted services to fill a gap identified in the Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative (CAGI) prevention component; and, (2) hiring and retaining special prosecutors to handle gang crime, to include one juvenile prosecutor, adult felony prosecutor, and statewide prosecutor. Overall, the grant funds will allow the CAGEE to increase information sharing. The grant funds will allow the prosecutors to work with local, state, and federal law enforcement officers and prosecutors. The Tampa Police Department Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) will add personnel hours, training, and graffiti tracker analysts. The GSU will continue to work and share intelligence with local, state, and federal members of the CAGI Task Force and will continue investigation and prosecution of gangs, support for prevention and reentry programming, and funding for youth prevention and offender reentry programming.

CA/NCF