Southern District of Texas FY 2011 Project Safe Neighborhoods Initative

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 Sam Houston State University, serving as the fiscal agent for the Southern District of Texas, will achieve reductions in gang- and gun-related violence in three of Houston's highest crime areas, as well as the neighboring cities of Pasadena and Texas City. The prevailing strategies are to fund overtime patrols/surveillance to combat the significant increase in criminal residents; partnerships with the FBI, ATF, sheriff's office, nearby municipal police departments, local schools, and faith-based organizations; increase field interviews and federal referrals; improve zero tolerance enforcement; educate at-risk youth with resources from the Texas Attorney Generals office; assist the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in ferreting out multi-family housing units serving as a safe harbor or base of operation for known gang members; increase seized gun traces; and cooperate with several local school districts as well as ATF's Southwest Border Initiative, Gun Running Impact Team (G.R.I.T). They will support five agencies of the USAO's Texas Southern District to reduce gang- and gun-related violence in this major metropolitan area.

NCA/NCF