Metro East WAVE Project

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is designed to create safer neighborhoods through a sustained reduction in crime associated with gang and gun violence. The program's effectiveness is based on the cooperation of local, state, and federal agencies engaged in a unified approach led by the U.S. Attorney (USA) in each district. The USA is responsible for establishing a collaborative PSN task force of federal, state, and local law enforcement and other community members to implement gang and gun crime enforcement, intervention and prevention initiatives within the district. Through the PSN task force, the USA will implement the five design features of PSN--partnerships, strategic planning, training, outreach, and accountability--to address specific gun and gang crime problems in that district.

The Hoyleton Youth and Family Services, serving as the fiscal agent for the Southern District of Illinois, in conjunction with the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois (MEGSI) will produce a sustained reduction in the number of violent crimes in the City of East Saint Louis (EStL), and its neighboring communities, with an emphasis on hot spots in federally funded housing projects. As a rule, target area police departments are understaffed and cannot provide an effective, sustained, and overt deterrence. To counter this problem, the Metro East WAVE Project (a collaboration of federal, state, county, and local law enforcement agencies) will provide targeted, focused, and pro-active enforcement in designated locations, using proven, effective enforcement techniques. Goals and objectives include (1) Reduce gun violence in targeted areas; (2) Reduce gun violence in targeted areas; (3) Reduce the number of gang/drug related homicides and other violent crimes; (4) Provide a sustained impact on the trafficking of controlled substances and cannabis; (5) Educate and involve community members to encourage better cooperation.

CA/NCF