Violent Gang and Gun Crime Reduction Program (Project Safe Neighborhoods)

Grants to USA State and local governments, non-profits, universities, and others as fiscal agents for U.S. district attorneys and tribal governments for programs that reduce gun crime and violence perpetrated by gangs. Eligible projects are collaborative efforts with a research partner to develop innovative, scientifically-based methods of reducing these crimes in their neighborhoods.

Specifically, the purpose of PSN is to reduce gun crime and gang violence by the most violent offenders in the most violent neighborhoods by employing a research-driven, intelligence-led, and problem-solving approach to reduce firearms and gang violence through enforcement, deterrence, and prevention.

BJA is seeking proposals from applicants interested in developing innovative, comprehensive, data-driven approaches to reduce chronic gun crime and/or gang violence in their jurisdiction. BJA expects agencies to work toward a result; a PSN result is defined as a plausible, scientifically-based finding that a solution had either an effect or no effect on the problem. The involvement of a research partner is indispensable to achieving this result.

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 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, in the most violent neighborhoods.

1. Partnerships: The PSN Program is intended to increase partnerships among federal, state, and local agencies through the formation of a local PSN task force.

2. Strategic Planning and Research Integration: PSN is a problem-solving program, based on a strategic planning process in which jurisdictions should define the specific components of their gun crime and/or gang violence problem with the help of proactive crime analysis, and research data and design focused strategies to target these problem components through enforcement/ prosecution, deterrence, and prevention.

3. Training: A core component of PSN is its provision of training opportunities to local district task forces to assist them in the effective implementation of all aspects of the program. Training topics include gun crime investigations, crime gun identification and tracing, and related issues. Training on effective prosecution of gun and gang cases has been provided to state and local law enforcement and prosecutors. Additional training has focused on strategic problem-solving and community outreach and community engagement. Training for local law enforcement on community policing can also be beneficial.

4. Outreach: This PSN component involves both local and national outreach efforts. Locally, districts should be sending a deterrent message to would-be criminals stressing “hard time for gun and gang-related crime,” with simultaneous promotion of educational, intervention/ prevention, reentry, and employment alternatives.

5. Accountability and Data-Driven Efforts: This element emphasizes that PSN will focus on outcomes—i.e., reduced gun crime and gang violence—as opposed to a focus on outputs such as arrests and cases prosecuted. That is, PSN’s success is ultimately measured by the reduction in gun crime and gang violence.

There are categories for small, medium, and large districts as well as for federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and/or tribal organizations. Applicants may only apply to one category. The categories are:
Category 1: USAO district populations of 5 million or more.
Category 2: USAO district populations of 2 million–4,999,999.
Category 3: USAO district populations under 2 million.
Category 4: Federally recognized American Indian tribes and Alaska Native tribes and/or tribal organizations. Tribes and tribal organizations must coordinate their application with the local USAO as well as provide a letter of certification from the local USAO for their application.