Criminal Justice System Program Reducing Gun Violence

Criminal Justice System Program

REDUCING GUN VIOLENCE AND CRIME

The Violent Gang and Gun Crime Reduction Program

More popularly known as Project Safe Neighborhoods or PSN, this Program was conceived and designed to create safer neighborhoods by reducing crime associated with gang and gun violence (BJA, 2012). Its effectiveness derives from the cooperation among the local, State, and federal agencies involved. It is led by the district attorney. He is tasked with establishing a collaborative PSN task force of federal, State and local law enforcement and other sectors of the community to implement gang and gun crime enforcement, intervention and prevention activities within his district. There are 94 federal judicial districts. Through the PSN task force, he implements the five design features of PSN. These design features are partnerships, strategic planning, training, outreach and accountability. They are geared towards addressing the specific and local gun and gang crime problems of the district. The project intends to reduce gun and gang violence in districts throughout the country by means of a research-based, intelligence-led, and problem-solving approach. This approach is aimed at reducing firearm and gang violence through enforcement, deterrence, and prevention. Interested applicants are asked to develop innovative, comprehensive, data-driven approaches to these ends in their respective districts. The result is a reasonable and scientifically-based finding that a proposed solution is either effective or not on the problem. A research partner is a requirement in achieving this result. The solution is evidence-based when causal evidence exists on its effectiveness. The causal evidence documents and establishes the relationship between an activity or intervention and its outcome. It includes measuring the direction and size of a change and the extent of that change occurring because of the activity or intervention. Causal evidence depends on the use of scientific methods to eliminate other explanations to the documented change. The strength of such a causal evidence will be the basis in determining if the program or practice is evidence-based BJA).

Approximately 12 awards are expected to be drawn from the program for a period of 24 months (BJA, 2012). These awards fall under four categories. Category 1 is for district populations of 5 million or more and will receive up to $500,000 award. Category 2 is fo district populations of 2 million to 4,999,999 for an award of up to $300,000. Category 3 is for district populations under 2 million for an award of up to $150,000. And Category 4 is for federally recognized American Indian tribes and Alaska Native tribes and/or organizations for an award of up to $150,000 (BJA).

The Department of Justice also modified the PSN program from a formula-based allocation of funding scheme into a competitive-based program (BJA, 2012). It is now within a competitive environment where need and the use of effective, intelligence and data-driven strategies are primary considerations (BJA).

Participants, Requirements and Criteria

A district must have a fiscal agent who is certified by the district attorney (BJA, 2012). Eligible fiscal agents include States, local government units, educational institutions, faith-based and other community organizations, and private non-profit organizations. An applicant must first secure a data universal numbering system or DUNS number, a registration with the central contractor registration database, an authorized organization representative and a Grants.gov username and password, a confirmation of the AOR from the E-Business Point of Contact, funding opportunity on Grants.gov, correct Competition ID, disclosure of lobbying activities, and an application consistent with this solicitation. An application should include information to complete the application for federal assistance SF-424, a program abstract, program narrative, budget details, indirect cost rate agreement if applicable, tribal authorizing resolution if applicable, and pertinent attachments. Selection criteria and their weights are statement of the problem at 25%, project design at 25%, capabilities and competencies at 30%, data collection plan at 10%, and budget a 10% (BJA).

Rationale of the Program

Research showed a 4.1% decline in violent crime in cities where PSN was implemented as compared with only 0.9% in cities that had no implementation (NIJ, 2009). The cities investigated were Durham, Greensboro and Winston-Salem in North Carolina, Lowell in Massachusetts, St. Louis in Missouri, Chicago, Stockton in California, and Montgomery and Mobile in Alaska. There were very significant declines in gun crime in all the police districts, which implemented PSN as compared to districts, which did not. It was found that target cities with a high level of commitment by the district attorney office also had high levels of PSN implementation. The key factors influenced PSN in reducing violent crime. These were cross-agency buy-in and flexibility. Flexibility, in turn, had five basic components, such as partnerships, strategic planning, training, outreach, and accountability. Cross-agency buy-in or distributed leadership existed among the key agency leaders, such as the chief of police, the local prosecutor, the child of probation and parole and the mayor or city manager. Flexibility meant fitting or adapting the program to the needs of the district rather than increased federal gun prosecution. This was demonstrated by partnerships, strategic planning, training, outreach and accountability. Partnerships were formed by enforcement agencies, State and federal prosecutors, parole and probation agencies and community groups. Strategic planning covered enforcement, prosecution, deterrence and prevention. More than 17,000 PSN members received training by 2005 alone. Outreach activities were conducted on nationwide basis. And accountability was conducted by means of different reporting mechanisms (NIJ).