The purpose of this program is to support projects designed to create and foster safer neighborhoods through a sustained reduction in violent crime, including the addressing of criminal gangs and felonious possession and use of firearms. Funding will support projects to foster and improve existing partnerships between federal, state, and local agencies, including the U.S. Attorney in each federal judicial district; entities representing members of the community affected by increased violence; victims' advocates; and researchers to create safer neighborhoods through sustained reductions in violent crimes by:
- Developing and executing comprehensive strategic plans to reduce violent crimes, including the enforcement of gun laws, and prioritizing efforts focused on identified subsets of individuals or organizations responsible for increasing violence in specific geographic areas
- Developing evidence-based and data-driven intervention and prevention initiatives, including juvenile justice projects and activities that may include street-level outreach, conflict mediation, provision of treatment and social services, and the changing of community norms, in order to reduce violence
- Collecting data on outcomes achieved through projects, including the effect on the violent crime rate, incarceration rate, and recidivism rate of the jurisdiction
All projects must address one or more of the following design features:
- Community engagement: foster meaningful engagement between and among communities, law enforcement, prosecutors, and other stakeholders as an essential component of an effective violence reduction strategy
- Focused and strategic enforcement: address violent crime by focusing strategic enforcement on a limited number of problem places and the individuals driving violent crime, including implementing the following critical elements of strategic enforcement:
- Understanding the most significant drivers of violence and resources
- Leveraging technology and analytics
- Developing and implementing enforcement strategies
- Deterring others from engaging in violence
- Prevention and intervention: include strategies to address risk and protective factors, including:
- Building relationships with representatives of agencies and organizations most suited to provide education, social services, job training and placement, reentry programs, or similar resources to those in need
- Prevention and intervention activities that can provide individuals and families with skills, opportunities, and alternatives that can ultimately help to reduce violent crime in communities
- Accountability: collect and analyze relevant data that focus on outcomes by monitoring crime data over time as related to their local PSN task force’s targeted problems and/or targeted areas
Eligible costs include salaries, wages, and fringe benefits; overtime compensation; workshops and events, pending approval by the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ's) Office of Justice Programs under the Bureau of Justice Assistance; travel; equipment; and printing, publication, and duplication of materials that support the project.
TCPD will use funds, if awarded, to cover overtime for officers participating in extra operations that will include drug and weapon violation apprehensions, gang identification, etc. Community engagement, prevention, and intervention activities will also be funded. |