FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Justice Department Awards More Than $17.5 Million to Support Project Safe Neighborhoods

More than $100,00 Awarded for Projects in the District of Columbia

            WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded more than $17.5 million in grants to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. Funding will support efforts across the country to address violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. The District of Columbia Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants was awarded $102,828 to administer PSN grants in the District of Columbia.

            Overall, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), part of the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will administer the 88 grant awards, which are being made to designated fiscal agents across the nation to support local PSN projects that work in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.

            “This latest Project Safe Neighborhoods grant is critical to addressing the violent crime threatening cities and towns all across our country,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Ensuring the safety of all Americans is the highest priority for the Department of Justice, but when it comes to violent crime, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We have to work closely with local public safety agencies as well as community organizations to craft individual strategies unique to each community’s needs. Programs like Project Safe Neighborhoods and the funding it provides allow us to do just that.”

            “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is fortunate to work with so many outstanding community partners in the District of Columbia,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “The grants being awarded today will support our comprehensive efforts to reduce gun violence in partnership with organizations committed to a multi-pronged approach tied to community engagement.”

            In the District of Columbia, grant funds have previously been used to support neighborhood-level efforts focused on 18-24-year-olds, an age group that was selected because of the extent to which they have been perpetrators or victims of gun violence. Community-based organizations have hosted local events, negotiated ceasefires between feuding groups, promoted available resources through pop-up events, and led safety walks, among other activities.

            With approval from BJA, and upon acceptance of the award, the D.C. Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants will begin the process of making subawards for PSN grant projects.

            “Investing in our communities, supporting victims and building a justice system that both keeps people safe and earns their trust – these are mutually reinforcing goals that stand at the heart of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP. “The Office of Justice Programs is pleased to join with our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and with jurisdictions across the country, as we work together to meet the challenges of crime and violence and achieve our shared aspirations of public safety and community trust.”

            In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crimeissued by Deputy Attorney General Monaco, is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, 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.

            This fall, U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country have enhanced their violent crime reduction efforts to ensure alignment with the department’s comprehensive violent crime reduction strategy. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have engaged in outreach to law enforcement and other agencies and organizations serving communities to identify the most significant drivers of violence in their districts. Working together with a broad coalition of stakeholders, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are addressing the most pressing violent crime issues in their district to make our neighborhoods safer for all. PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies, community stakeholders, and other agencies and organizations that work to reduce violent crime.

            For a list of all grantees, please visit the link HERE.

            The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at  www.ojp.gov.