Western District of Michigan FY 2011 Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide commitment to reducing gun and gang crime, links existing local programs together and provides them with necessary tools. PSN 1) takes a hard line against persons involved in gun and gang crime, 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 Grand Valley State University, serving as the fiscal agent for the Western District of Michigan (WDMI), will enhance local agency capacity to investigate and address gun and gang violence, as well as to promote partnership and community outreach. This goal are to create safer neighborhoods by reducing gun violence and gun crime, and sustain that reduction; and reduce the occurrence of violent gang-related incidents through both reactive and proactive efforts supported by enforcement planning coordinated with federal, state, and local law enforcement and informed by data and real-time intelligence. The WDMI PSN Task Force will seek initiatives that deploy strategies across the following strategies: enhanced personnel capacity, training opportunities, community outreach, and partnerships that facilitate collaborative problem solving strategies. In addition, the PSN Task Force will deploy a portion of the funding to engage a local research partner who can inform program development for future funding years, assist with the tracking of performance metrics, inform evidence-based practices, and provide an evaluation of current strategies.

NCA/NCF