United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown and the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force announced the availability of approximately $148,319 in additional PSN grant funds for the Western District of Louisiana. The Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Bureau of Justice Assistance is seeking applications for funding of a grant under the PSN Program. At least 30% ($44,495.70) of the grant funds must be designated for grants under the PSN Program to fund new and/or current gang violence reduction strategies in the Western District.
The PSN approach is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities; supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place; setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities; and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions. PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented.
“The violent crime rate is down in our district, but we cannot rest and become complacent,” said United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “The awarding of this grant is evidence that federal government is continuing to collaborate with our state and local law enforcement partners and non-governmental organizations to make Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria, Lake Charles, Lafayette and all points between a safer place to live. If there are law enforcement partners and organizations ready to join us in the fight to combat violent crime through the acquisition of high-level investigative resources or the development of a crime prevention and deterrence strategy, I encourage you to apply for these funds.”
Past recipients of PSN grants have been the Alexandria, Lake Charles, Monroe, Shreveport and Lafayette Police Departments as well as the Caddo Parish and Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Offices and Lafayette City Marshal’s Office. Funds were granted for various programs to include assisting with implementation of a new computer software program, body cameras for law enforcement officers, training for officers on gang prevention and overtime hours for law enforcement officers to increase patrols in areas that saw an increase in violent crime, including narcotics, gang and gun-related violent crimes.
The Shreveport Police Department has been named as the fiscal agent for administering the funds allowed through this PSN grant. A committee comprised of community volunteers from the five major cities in the Western District of Louisiana has been appointed to be responsible for reviewing the applications received from law enforcement and non-governmental agencies who submit their grant proposals.
The Shreveport Police Department, on behalf of the DOJ’s OJP, is seeking applications for these grant funds under the PSN Program. At least 30% of the grant funds must be designated for grants under the PSN Program to fund new and/or current gang violence reduction strategies in the Western District. Various types of single or multi-grantee grant proposals are welcome, including those that address the following:
- Gang and gun violence reduction, deterrence, prevention, community outreach and education;
- Enforcement, adjudication and supervision programs;
- Prisoner re-entry programs; or
- Other innovative related projects.
An informational meeting will be held via WebEx on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. If you are interested in applying for these grant funds and learning more about the details required to be eligible, please send your e-mail and contact information to: USALAW.PSN@usdoj.gov by Friday, September 27, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. in order to obtain the link to the WebEx meeting.
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