As a former U.S. Attorney, now serving as Director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, I understand that public safety in every community is uniquely challenged by violent crime. Two U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) initiatives—Weed and Seed and Project Safe Neighborhoods—demonstrate the department's continued commitment to the safety and vitality of our communities and its focus to rid our streets of gangs. Today, crime rates are down, in part because these initiatives have forged stronger partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The U.S. Attorneys are fully committed to developing partnerships with and encouraging cooperation among state and local law enforcement agencies and are doing so by facilitating community-driven efforts through the Weed and Seed strategy. Nationwide, approximately 330 Weed and Seed sites are active. In each site, the U.S. Attorney acts as a liaison between CCDO and the local leadership by serving as chair or cochair to the site's Steering Committee. Today, Weed and Seed coordinators are working closely with the district's Assistant U.S. Attorneys and law enforcement coordinators. This collaboration of resources and efforts results in more offender arrests. Project Safe Neighborhoods has helped fuel historic lows in gun crime throughout the nation, as well as a 30-year low in the violent crime victimization rate. Since the initiative's inception, federal firearms cases have increased by 73 percent. Of defendants charged with federal firearms offenses, 93 percent receive significant jail time (68 percent receiving sentences of 3 or more years). DOJ has hired more than 200 new federal prosecutors to focus on gun crime through Project Safe Neighborhoods, helped hire more than 500 new state and local gun prosecutors through grants, and helped train more than 19,000 people through a comprehensive training and technical assistance program. The President's proposed FY 2007 budget expands on the initiative by including $59 million for state and local law enforcement agencies. These funds will continue to reduce violent gun crime and gang activity. In February 2006, the Attorney General announced his plan to focus on combating gangs by building on the strategies and partnerships developed under Project Safe Neighborhoods and other anticrime programs. The Attorney General's Anti-Gang initiative selected six pilot districts with significant gang problems to implement a comprehensive anti-gang initiative. These sites are Los Angeles, Cleveland, Dallas-Fort Worth, Milwaukee, Tampa, and the "222 Corridor" that stretches from Easton to Lancaster, PA, near Philadelphia. By implementing this comprehensive initiative, each district will receive $2.5 million in grants that will bring together three essential strategies: prevention, prosecution, and prisoner reentry. The U.S. Attorneys will combine efforts to prevent gang membership by providing youth with better alternatives, intensifying law enforcement efforts against the worst violent gang members, and assisting offenders as they return to a productive life outside of prison. The U.S. Attorneys will lead their districts in utilizing and incorporating local prevention efforts that have successful track records such as Project Safe Neighborhoods and Weed and Seed. Nationally, the U.S. Attorney community supports a variety of initiatives and projects that are designed to reduce crime in local communities. Weed and Seed, Project Safe Neighborhoods, and other initiatives are tangible examples of the commitment of the U.S. Attorneys and DOJ to enhance the quality of life for all Americans. As Director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, I am committed to working closely with my colleagues to provide support to these initiatives to make our streets safer. If you want to learn more about the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, I encourage you to visit our Web site. Michael Battle |
