FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????? AG/BJA
JANUARY
30, 2003?????????????????????????? ????? ????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????? ?202-307-0703
JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT AWARDS $117 MILLION TO FIGHT GUN VIOLENCE
PHILADELPHIA
- At the second annual Project Safe Neighborhoods: America?s Network Against
Gun Violence (PSN) National Conference, Attorney General John Ashcroft
announced $117 million awards to localities to combat gun violence.? The awards, administered by the Office of
Justice Programs? (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), support a
comprehensive, strategic approach to reducing gun violence in America, and are
part of the Administration?s commitment of more than $900 million over three
years to aggressively prosecute gun criminals, enhance coordination among
federal, state, and local law enforcement, support investigations, provide
training, as well as develop and promote community outreach efforts.
?Protecting
our communities from gun violence is a priority of the Justice Department, and
we will ensure that those who work to keep our streets and neighborhoods safe
have the resources they need,? said Attorney General Ashcroft.? ?Enforcing existing firearms laws while
creating innovative, effective methods for community involvement are important
factors in deterring and prosecuting violent crime in this nation.?
Today?s
grants provide funding in four categories:
_??????? Media
Outreach and Community Engagement Award - $16 million.? Partners, in 94 federal judicial districts,
who received this grant will research, create and produce public service
announcements and comprehensive communications strategies to deter gun violence
in their local area.? The focus of the
grants is encouraging community support and promoting strict punishment of all
firearms-related violent crime.
_??????? Research
Partner/Crime Analyst Award - $15 million.? Research partners in 94 federal judicial districts will work
with PSN, Justice Department and the Michigan State University- School of
Criminal Justice to examine trends in firearms-related violence and engage in
strategic problem-solving on the issue.
The
grantees will collect data, analyze findings and report on best practices
around the
?country of crime control and prevention.
_??????? Project
Sentry Grant - $13 million. ?The
program focuses on juvenile-related gun violence and strategies to keep illegal
guns out of the hands of America?s youth.
The grants, awarded to 36 counties, will be used to increase
jurisdiction capabilities to arrest, detain, prosecute and provide supervision
to juveniles involved in firearms-related crimes.? The program supports federal-state partnerships that promote
coordination at all levels to identify, prosecute and punish offenders. That
includes targeting gun dealers and adults who illegally purchase or provide
guns to juveniles or otherwise contribute to a juvenile committing a violent
crime with a firearm.
_??????? Open
Solicitation Award - $10 million. ?These grants fund innovative local responses to gun violence.? There were 41 jurisdictions chosen for
funding.? Each will create and implement
a unique local program focused on prevention, community outreach and education;
enforcement, adjudication and supervision programs; or some other innovative
project to stem violent gun crimes.
?Violent
predators continue to pose a significant threat to our citizens,? said Deborah
J. Daniels, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs.? ?Project Safe Neighborhood?s aggressive,
broad-based response by law enforcement in partnership with the community can
significantly reduce that threat.? These
funds will go where they?ll have the greatest impact in reducing gun violence -
to federal and state prosecutors, investigators, and to citizens engaged in gun
violence reduction efforts.?
In
addition to the PSN awards announced today, OJP has awarded $63 million
through the Community Gun Violence Prosecution Program to help state and
local governments hire 550 new gun prosecutors in areas with a high incidence
of gun violence.? Funds are provided
directly to prosecutors to hire deputy prosecutors to focus on cases that
involve violent crimes committed with guns and other violations of gun statutes
that involve drug trafficking and gang-related crimes.
A list of
the BJA awards, including information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, can be
found on www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grants/psnawards.html.
Media can also contact OJP?s Office of Communications at 202-307-0703.
To find
out about more about PSN and its local programs, visit the PSN website at www.psn.gov.
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