FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Department of Justice

JANUARY 23, 2002?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????? Contact Lori McMahon, (202) 514-2007

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT PROVIDES $70 MILLION IN FUNDS

TO PROMOTE GUN VIOLENCE PROSECUTION

 

COLUMBIA, SC: Today Attorney General John Ashcroft officially launched Project Safe Neighborhoods: America?s Network Against Gun Violence (PSN). He delivered a keynote address at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina.? The first ever PSN conference, dedicated exclusively to the implementation of the Bush Administration?s strategy to fight gun violence, brought together nearly 300 federal, state and local prosecutors, police chiefs and federal agents from every state in America.? The conference follows on the heels of the President and Attorney General?s promise, last May in Philadelphia, PA, to launch a national offensive on gun violence?

 

?Project Safe Neighborhoods is a new national strategy that will get gun wielding criminals off our streets and out of our neighborhoods,? the Attorney General said.? ?These new federal, state and local prosecutors will ensure that our gun laws are vigorously enforced so that our citizens will be protected from gun violence.?

 

Attorney General Ashcroft announced that nearly $70 million in Justice Department grant funding will go to state and local prosecutors? offices across the nation to hire additional prosecutors dedicated to processing gun violence cases.? These funds represent the initial phase of the Community Gun Violence Prosecution Program (GVP), an unprecedented prosecutorial hiring program that will add over 580 new prosecutors to state and local courtrooms across the nation.? Under the first phase of this grant program, which is administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), over $36 million in funding is being awarded to154 state and local prosecutors? offices to hire 309 new prosecutors.? Additional awards, making up the balance of the $70 million, are expected to be announced in April.

 

In addition to 580 new state and local prosecutors, Attorney General Ashcroft announced that the Justice Department will hire 94 new Assistant United States Attorneys this year to combat gun crime.? This announcement is in addition to the 113 new gun prosecutors hired at the end of 2001. As a result, 207 new federal prosecutors will be on the front lines in support of the PSN initiative.

 

Project Safe Neighborhoods is a comprehensive, strategic approach to reducing gun violence in America.? The Administration is committing $533 million to this effort over two years.? In addition to hiring new prosecutors, the funds will be used to support investigators, provide training and develop community outreach efforts that will promote and improve public safety.

 

A list of initial GVP awards is below. Additional information can be found on two Web sites: http://www.projectsafeneighborhoods.com/ and http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/html/cgvpp.htm.

 

 

# # #

 

 

OJP02067

 

 

GUN VIOLENCE PROSECUTION GRANT RECIPIENTS

 

 

AWARDEE

LOCATION

PROSECUTORS

AWAWARDARD

 

Alabama Nineteenth Circuit District Attorney Office

 

Wetumpka, AL

 

1

 

$96,000

 

County of Madison

 

Huntsville, AL

 

1

 

$98,907

 

Alabama Office of The District Attorney Fourth Judicial Circuit??

 

Selma, AL

 

2

 

$239,910

 

Alabama Office of the District Attorney, 33rd Judicial Circuit

 

Ozark, AL

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Alabama Attorney General's Office

 

Montgomery, AL

 

3

 

$360,000

 

Twenty Second Judicial District

 

Benton, AR

 

1

 

$116,800

 

Eighteenth Judicial District East

 

Hot Springs, AR

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Thirteenth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney

 

Camden, AR

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Yuma County Attorney

 

Yuma, AZ

 

2

 

$240,000

 

Gila County

 

Globe, AZ

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Mohave County

 

Kingman, AZ

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Pima County Attorney's Office

 

Tucson, AZ

 

4

 

$462,720

 

Yavapai County Attorney

 

Prescott, AZ

 

2

 

$239,112

 

Maricopa County Attorney's Office

 

Prescott, AZ

 

4

 

$480,000

 

County of Placer?

 

Auburn, CA

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office

 

Los Angeles, CA

 

4

 

$480,000

 

Mendocino County District Attorney's Office

 

Ukiah, CA

 

1

 

$120,000

 

City of Los Angeles

 

Los Angeles, CA

 

4

 

$480,000

 

San Francisco District Attorney's Office

 

San Francisco, CA

 

3

 

$360,000

 

Madera County District Attorneys Office

 

Madera, CA

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Kern County District Attorney

 

Bakersfield, CA

 

4

 

$480,000

LEGAL NAME

CITY, ST

PROSECUTORS

AWARD

 

Colorado Fourth Judicial District

 

Colorado Springs, CO

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Denver District Attorney Office

 

Denver, CO

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Colorado 18th Judicial District - Office of the District Attorney

 

Englewood, CO

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice

 

Rocky Hill, CT

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Delaware Department of Justice

 

Wilmington, DE

 

4

 

$480,000

 

Office of the State Attorney, Nineteenth Judicial Circuit

 

Fort Pierce, FL

 

4

 

$480,000

 

State Attorneys Office??????????????????????????? ????????????????????

 

West Palm Beach, FL

 

4

 

$480,000

 

State Attorney's Office, Seventh Judicial Circuit

 

Daytona Beach, FL

 

4

 

$480,000

 

State Attorney's Office, Twentieth Judicial Circuit

 

Fort Myers, FL

 

4

 

$480,000

 

Florida Office of the State Attorney, 8th Judicial Circuit

 

Gainesville, FL

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Florida Office of the State Attorney

 

Viera, FL

 

2

 

$240,000

 

Florida Office of the State Attorney

 

Live Oak, FL

 

2

 

$235,888

 

Florida State Attorney's Office, 4th Judicial Circuit

 

Jacksonville, FL

 

4

 

$434,248

 

Dade County State Attorney's Office

 

Miami, FL

 

1

 

$96,000

 

Florida State Attorney's Office, 5th Judicial Circuit

 

Ocala, FL

 

4

 

$432,000

 

Coweta County District Attorney's Office

 

Newnan, GA

 

1

 

$118,220

 

Fulton County District Attorney's Office

 

Atlanta, GA

 

4

 

$480,000

 

DeKalb County District Attorney's Office

 

Decatur, GA

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Towaliga Judicial Circuit

 

Jackson, GA

 

1

 

$113,516

 

Houston County

 

Warner Robins, GA

 

1

 

$120,000

 

City of Atlanta

 

Atlanta, GA

 

4

 

$480,000

 

Southern Judicial Circuit

 

Valdosta, GA

 

1

 

$115,685

 

Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney

 

Honolulu, HI

 

1

 

$120,000

 

CITY, ST

PROSECUTORS

AWARD

 

Hawaii County

 

Hilo, HI

 

2

 

$240,000

 

Black Hawk County

 

Waterloo, IA

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Sangamon County

 

Springfield, IL

 

1

 

$120,000

 

City of Chicago

 

Chicago, IL

 

1

 

$120,000

 

County of Kankakee

 

Kankakee, IL

 

1

 

$118,986

 

Office of the Kane County State's Attorney

 

St. Charles, IL

 

2

 

$240,000

 

Cook County Board of Commissioners

 

Chicago, IL

 

4

 

$480,000

 

< span style='mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Baskerville Old Face"; color:black'>Champaign County

 

Urbana, IL

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Marion County

 

Indianapolis, IN

 

3

 

$360,000

 

Vanderburgh County

 

Evansville, IN

 

2

 

$240,000

 

Johnson County

 

Franklin, IN

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Office of the Commonwealth Attorney, 46th Judicial Circuit

 

Brandenburg, KY

 

1

 

$120,000

 

16th Judicial Circuit Commonwealth Attorney

 

Covington, KY

 

2

 

$236,000

 

Office of the Jefferson County Attorney

 

Louisville, KY

 

4

 

$480,000

 

Twenty Second Judicial Circuit

 

Lexington, KY

 

1

 

$107,785

 

Orleans Parish District Attorney

 

New Orleans, LA

 

4

 

$384,000

 

Louisiana 9th Judicial District Attorney

 

Alexandria, LA

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Hampden County District Attorney Office

 

Springfield, MA

 

4

 

$480,000

 

Plymouth County District Attorney's Office

 

Brockton, MA

 

2

 

$240,000

 

Anne Arundel County States Attorneys Office

 

Annapolis, MD

 

1

 

$120,000

 

St. Mary's County States Attorney

 

Leonardtown, MD

 

2

 

$240,000

 

Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office

 

Baltimore, MD

 

4

 

$480,000

 

Kennebec County

 

Augusta, ME

 

1

 

$96,000

 

CITY, ST

PROSECUTORS

AWARD

 

Office of the Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney

 

Detroit, MI

 

4

 

$480,000

 

County of Jackson

 

Jackson, MI

 

1

 

$110,954

 

Genesee County Prosecutor's Office

 

Flint, MI

 

4

 

$480,000

 

Kalamazoo County

 

Kalamazoo, MI

 

2

 

$240,000

 

Muskegon County

 

Muskegon, MI

 

1

 

$96,000

 

Ingham County- Ingham County Prosecutors Office

 

Lansing, MI

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Michigan Department of the Attorney General

 

Lansing, MI

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Bay County

 

Bay City, MI

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Ramsey County Attorney's Office

 

St. Paul, MN

 

2

 

$240,000

 

Goodhue County Attorneys Office

 

Red Wing, MN

 

1

 

$120,000

 

St. Louis County

 

Duluth, MN

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Hennepin County

 

Minneapolis, MN

 

2

 

$240,000

 

City of St. Louis, Office of the Circuit Attorney

 

St. Louis, MO

 

3

 

$327,141

 

Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney

 

Kansas City, MO

 

2

 

$240,000

 

County of McDonald

 

Pineville, MO

 

1

 

$52,320

 

City of Wilmington

 

Wilmington, NC

 

1

 

$119,874

 

County of Pitt

 

Greenville, NC

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

 

Charlotte, NC

 

4

 

$480,000

 

Sarpy County

 

Papillion, NE

 

1

 

$119,352

 

County of Cumberland

 

Bridgeton, NJ

 

1

 

$107,466

 

Gloucester? County Prosecutors Office

 

Woodbury, NJ

 

1

 

$120,000

 

County of Union

 

Elizabeth, NJ

 

2

 

$240,000

 

County of Atlantic

 

Atlantic City, NJ

 

2

 

$240,000

 

CITY, ST

PROSECUTORS

AWARD

 

Office of the Essex County Prosecutor

 

Newark, NJ

 

4

 

$353,080

 

County of Salem

 

Salem, NJ

 

1

 

$96,000

 

County of Mercer

 

Trenton, NJ

 

2

 

$240,000

 

New Mexico Eleventh Judicial District Division One

 

Farmington, NM

 

2

 

$240,000

 

New Mexico Second Judicial District Attorney's Office

 

Albuquerque, NM

 

4

 

$480,000

 

New Mexico Tenth Judicial District Attorney

 

Tucumcari, NM

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Sixth Judicial District Attorney

 

Silver City, NM

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Clark County District Attorney's Office

 

Las Vegas, NV

 

4

 

$480,000

 

Richmond County District Attorney

 

Staten Island, NY

 

3

 

$360,000

 

Nassau County District Attorney

 

Mineola, NY

 

3

 

$360,000

 

Monroe County

 

Rochester, NY

 

3

 

$360,000

 

Onondaga County

 

Syracuse, NY

 

1

 

$120,000

 

County of Oneida

 

Utica, NY

 

2

 

$215,206

 

District Attorney of the County of New York

 

New York, NY

 

4

 

$480,000

 

County of Columbia

 

Hudson, NY

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Westchester County District Attorney

 

White Plains, NY

 

2

 

$240,000

 

Niagara County District Attorney

 

Lockport, NY

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Greene County

 

Catskill, NY

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Kings County District Attorney

 

Brooklyn, NY

 

4

 

$480,000

 

Office of the Queens County District Attorney

 

Kew Gardens, NY

 

4

 

$480,000

 

Bronx County District Attorney

 

Bronx, NY

 

4

 

$480,000

 

Scioto County

 

Portsmouth, OH

 

1

 

$102,373

 

Jefferson County

 

Steubenville, OH

 

1

 

$120,000

 

CITY, ST

PROSECUTORS

AWARD

 

Cuyahoga County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney

 

Cleveland, OH

 

4

 

$480,000

 

Mahoning County Board of Commissioners

 

Youngstown, OH

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Oklahoma Twenty Seventh Prosecutorial District

 

Tahlequah, OK

 

2

 

$240,000

 

Lane County

 

Eugene, OR

 

2

 

$240,000

 

Multnomah County District Attorney's Office

 

Portland, OR

 

1

 

$120,000

 

County of Berks

 

Reading, PA

 

2

 

$234,660

 

Lawrence County

 

New Castle, PA

 

1

 

$106,481

 

County of Montgomery

 

Norristown, PA

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Chester County Commissioners

 

West Chester, PA

 

1

 

$109,201

 

County of Delaware

 

Media, PA

 

1

 

$120,000

 

County of Lehigh

 

Allentown, PA

 

2

 

$238,522

 

Dauphin County

 

Harrisburg, PA

 

1

 

$118,560

 

County of Allegheny

 

Pittsburgh, PA

 

2

 

$240,000

 

Philadelphia District Attorney's Office

 

Philadelphia, PA

 

4

 

$480,000

 

Lancaster County District Attorney's Office

 

Lancaster, PA

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General

 

Harrisburg, PA

 

3

 

$360,000

 

Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General

 

Providence, RI

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Sixth Circuit Solicitor's Office

 

Chester, SC

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Shelby County District Attorney

 

Memphis, TN

 

2

 

$222,446

 

Twenty Second Judicial District Attorney's Office

 

Lawrenceburg, TN

 

1

 

$96,000

 

Tennessee 11th Judicial District Attorney's Office

 

Chattanooga, TN

 

4

 

$480,000

 

Tennessee Office of the Attorney General, Eighth Judicial District

 

Huntsville, TN

 

1

 

$120,000

 

County of Tarrant

 

Fort Worth, TX

 

4

 

$480,000

 

CITY, ST

PROSECUTORS

AWARD

 

Texas Office of the Attorney General

 

Austin, TX

 

4

 

$480,000

 

Johnson County

 

Cleburne, TX

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Calhoun County

 

Port Lavaca, TX

 

1

 

$96,000

 

Limestone County

 

Groesbeck, TX

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Utah Attorney General's Office

 

Salt Lake City, UT

 

2

 

$240,000

 

West Valley City

 

West Valley City, UT

 

1

 

$120,000

 

City of Lynchburg

 

Lynchburg, VA

 

2

 

$240,000

 

County of Rockingham

 

Harrisonburg, VA

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Virgin Islands Department of Justice

 

Christiansted, VI

 

2

 

$240,000

 

King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office

 

Seattle, WA

 

3

 

$360,000

 

Grant County

 

Ephrata, WA

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney's Office

 

Yakima, WA

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney

 

Spokane, WA

 

2

 

$238,902

 

Walla Walla County

 

Walla Walla, WA

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Thurston County

 

Olympia, WA

 

1

 

$120,000

 

Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney's Office

 

Tacoma, WA

 

4

 

$480,000

 

County of Wayne

 

Wayne, WV

 

1

 

$100,800

 

Boone County

 

Madison, WV

 

1

 

$120,000

 

 

 

 

 

Totals as of 1-15-02

 

308

 

$36,163,115