PSN Program

As part of BJA’s Smart Suite, the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), represents a strategic approach that brings more “science” into criminal justice operations by leveraging innovative applications of analysis, technology, and evidence-based practices with the goal of improving performance and effectiveness while containing costs. 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 violence 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 crime and gang violence problems in that district.

The City and County of Denver, acting as the fiscal agent for the District of Colorado, will reduce violent crime associated with gang and gun violence in the cities of Denver, Aurora and Lakewood. The Denver Police Department’s regional Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) will produce timely, precise, and objective intelligence data (via the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) and crime gun tracing to focus the efforts of federal and state law enforcement, forensic, and prosecutorial resources on the most violent offenders. The CGIC concept is based on the premise that every handgun taken into custody will be test fired and a shell casing entered into the NIBIN database. In addition, where possible, CGIC traces every crime gun to an original purchaser. The project’s goals are to reduce the rate of violent crimes committed with a firearm, as well as to increase the participation in and completion of gang abatement programs by at-risk youth.

CA/NCF