Roanoke, Virginia – U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh has announced the availability of more than $320,000 in grant funding for Project Safe Neighborhoods initiatives.
The funds will be used to implement comprehensive, collaborative, and community-based approaches to reducing violent crime in the Western District of Virginia. The grants program is one component of the multi-faceted efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Danville, Roanoke City/County region, and Lynchburg.
In partnership with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the grant money will allow eligible organizations to support a broad range of activities aimed at reducing gun and gang violence.
These programs should focus on deterrence efforts aimed at potential offenders, the implementation of evidence-based programs, and proven enforcement strategies to prevent and reduce gun and gang crimes, and/or the prosecution of significant firearm, controlled substance, and violent crime offenses.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s new effort to reduce violent crime, including gun violence, emphasizes the importance of reinvigorating Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a two-decade-old evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime.
The updated PSN approach 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.
The grant opportunity is open to state and local law enforcement agencies, governmental entities, educational institutions, and 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations located in, or have the ability to serve, the targeted areas. Applicants are expected to use the funds to support the WDVA’s PSN pillars, which include community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office will select community members to serve as members of an independent grants committee to select and administer the PSN grant funds. The committee will be composed of individuals from the Danville, Lynchburg, and Roanoke areas with experience in community outreach, law enforcement, or who are otherwise qualified to fairly review and assess applications that will help achieve the PSN goals. None of the committee’s members will be current federal employees, and no member will be eligible to apply for or receive PSN funding.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office encourages those eligible organizations to apply for grant assistance by visiting the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services website.
