15PBJA24GG04058GUNP

Project Safe Neighborhoods Connecticut (PSN-CT) continues the approach to gun violence prevention that has been taken in CT since 2018.

While gun violence in our large cities continues to increase, PSN-CT has provided cities with resources for both equipment and prevention services, guided by PSN taskforce priorities and local needs.

The Justice Education Center, Inc., will continue to act as the fiduciary agent, and will coordinate the sub-grant solicitation process for a new round of resources aimed at providing local departments with the equipment, training and resources they need to do targeted enforcement, use technology effectively to identify and apprehend suspects, and to work with the community gang task force(s) to create a credible enforcement threat to group and gang members.

Violence in Connecticut's major cities, including Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury and New London is driven primarily by local, neighborhood groups who engage in gang activity, drug trafficking, robberies of rivals and related gun violence to facilitate that activity.

These groups often lack the formal structure of traditional, national gangs and are more likely to be based on associations forged over residing in particular sections of these cities and even particular major streets in these sections.

Much of the violence is often driven by disputes with rival groups in other sections of these cities over encroachment of territory for drug trafficking and what each group considers its turf.

In addressing the violence perpetrated by these criminal organizations in Connecticut's cities, the United States Attorneys Office, and its federal, state and local partners will continue to employ a two-pronged strategy focused on enforcement and outreach/prevention.

CT-PSN's research partner, the Charter Oak Group, LLC (COG), will facilitate a review of recent violent crime data and support the collection of performance data on specific interventions, including outcomes associated with the use of police department equipment purchased with PSN funds, community outreach, and programming intended to reduce recidivism, encourage desistance from gun violence, and provide an alternative path for those at-risk of group/gang involvement or otherwise at risk of committing gun violence.

The Justice Education Center

THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ) PROJECT SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS (PSN) PROGRAM IS A NATIONWIDE INITIATIVE THAT BRINGS TOGETHER FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND TRIBAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS, PROSECUTORS, COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNERS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO IDENTIFY THE MOST PRESSING VIOLENT CRIME PROBLEMS IN A COMMUNITY AND DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS THEM. PSN IS COORDINATED BY THE U.S. ATTORNEYS' OFFICES (USAOS) IN THE 94 FEDERAL JUDICIAL DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE 50 STATES AND U.S. TERRITORIES. PSN IS CUSTOMIZED TO ACCOUNT FOR LOCAL VIOLENT CRIME PROBLEMS AND RESOURCES. IN MAY 2021, DOJ REVISED PSN'S APPROACH TO EMPHASIZE FOUR KEY DESIGN ELEMENTS OF SUCCESSFUL VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION INITIATIVES: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION, FOCUSED AND STRATEGIC ENFORCEMENT, AND ACCOUNTABILITY. ALL PSN GRANTS ARE AWARDED VIA FORMULA BASED ON EACH DISTRICT'S POPULATION AND VIOLENT CRIME RATE. AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF PSN IS TO INCORPORATE RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS TO INFORM THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS ON THE MOST EFFECTIVE VIOLENCE REDUCTION STRATEGIES.

16.609 - Project Safe Neighborhoods

Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) [DOJ - OJP]

West Hartford, Connecticut 06107-2371 United States

Single Zip Code

BJA FY24 Project Safe Neighborhoods Formula Grant Program (O-BJA-2024-172215)