Human Trafficking and Violent Crime Social Network Analysis Project

Strategies for Policing Innovation, Purpose Area 2: Precipitous Increase in Crime, provides resources to support projects that are experiencing precipitous increases in crime or in a type or types of crime within their jurisdictions, and propose to implement and test applied justice information-sharing technology designed to respond to these crime increases and to improve criminal justice data exchange. Recipients must: (1) identify and promote technology solutions that target preventing, investigating, prosecuting, and responding to precipitous increases in specific crime(s); (2) leverage new and existing partnerships to include other criminal justice entities, community organizations, and private or public providers, to enhance the applicant’s ability to respond to these specific crimes within their jurisdiction; (3) develop policies and practices around the use of the technology solution that promote decision making with the intent to reduce the precipitous increase of the identified specific crime(s); and (4) apply the information-sharing or other technology solution(s) at all levels of the organization and in a manner that supports operational effectiveness and efficiency.

Recipients must clearly identify how the funding will directly address a precipitous or extraordinary increase in crime(s) or a type or types of crime in the jurisdiction. Specifically, they must: identify a crime that has precipitously increased within the jurisdiction; identify the period of time during which the crime or relevant category of crime increased and provide evidence substantiating the claimed increase.

SPI is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Suite of Programs, which is focused on reducing violent crime. These initiatives will coordinate proactively with the PSN team in the respective district of the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) to enhance collaboration and strengthen the commitment to reducing violent crime.

Houston Police Department (HPD) will use award funds for Social Networking Analysis technology to assist with the complex human trafficking and gang activity investigations. Overtime funds will allow the HPD Criminal Investigative Division surveillance group time to place the surveillance equipment in areas with the most prevalent crime.
CA/NCF