Community Based Initiatives

Project Safe Neighborhoods

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the anti-gang, anti-gun violence initiative of the United States Department of Justice. It has four primary components.

Law Enforcement

Project Safe Neighborhoods emphasizes and facilitates cooperative federal, state and local prosecution of firearm crimes, violent criminals, repeat violent offenders and gang related criminal activity.

Law Enforcement Related Links

Anti-Gang Initiative

Project Safe Neighborhoods funded prosecutors and the Anti-Gang Initiative seek to facilitate the investigation, apprehension and prosecution of members of violent criminal gangs. Where feasible, federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutorial resources are coordinated to provide a comprehensive law enforcement strategy aimed at eliminating violent criminal gangs and gang activity throughout the District.

Anti-Gang Related Links

Project Sentry

Project Sentry is the juvenile enforcement, prevention and intervention focused violent gun crimes initiative of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Law enforcement works with community groups, including Weed and Seed sites to promote educational and recreational alternative activities for young people in our most challenged communities. The goals are to graphically demonstrate the negative consequences of involvement with firearms violence from the standpoint of exposure to physical bodily harm and imprisonment and from the standpoint of the havoc gun violence visits upon families, neighborhoods and the lives of everyone involved. Project Sentry focuses on young people through anti-gang and anti-gun violence presentations at schools, community groups, youth summits and summer camps. Since 2005, PSN Project Sentry has reached over 10,000 young people with the anti-gang, anti-violence message from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

What Parents Can Do to Prevent Gang Involvement (PDF)

Southern District of Florida Reentry Initiative

In 2003, one issue noted in President Bush's State of the Union Address was the challenge of offender reentry. At that time it was estimated that close to 600,000 persons would be released each year from state and federal prisons for return to our communities. The challenge was, and is, to afford them successful avenues for reentry which will protect our communities from the consequences of their return to a life of crime.

PSN in the Southern District of Florida has been at the forefront of coordinating, facilitating and empowering reentry initiatives throughout the district. Project Safe Neighborhoods and our PSN partners have:

A. Sponsored gang violence and reentry focused summits, strategic planning and working groups annually since 2004, 2006 and 2008.

B. Funded reentry activities directly and through our Weed and Seed law enforcement and non-profit reentry partner's activities such as: probation and parole patrol follow-ups; re-entry coordinator counseling and service provider activities - driver's licenses, civil rights restoration, job training placement, and job placement and transportation assistance, reentry preparation fairs and community wide reentry fairs.

C. Encouraged the development of county wide Reentry Coordination Coalitions by pulling together interrelated and involved re-entry partners from local/state and federal prison facilities; halfway-residential confinement facility; ex-offenders; job placement agencies businesses, faith-based institutions elected officials and the media, and working with them as they pool their informational, economic and personnel resources to more effectively and efficiently provide re-entry services.

D. PSN has assisted coalitions in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties in publishing county wide re-entry assistance directories and in holding re-entry and transition "fairs and similar activities aimed at getting service providers in touch with re-entering ex-offenders.

PSN Information: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/psn.html

Justice Department Programs grants and funding: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/funding/index.html

Ex-Offender Reentry Related Links

Miami Reentry Task Force

Broward Reentry Coalition

Florida Ex-Offender Resource Guide:

http://www.waynerawlins.com/downloads/Florida%20Ex-Offender%20Resources.doc

Miami-Dade Reentry Resource Guide:

http://www.waynerawlins.com/downloads/Miami-Dade%20Reentry%20Resource%20Guide%202008.pdf

Broward Reentry Resource Guide:

http://www.waynerawlins.com/downloads/Broward%20Reentry%20Resource%20Guide.pdf

Community Based Partnerships

The United States Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida have worked with hundreds of agencies and organizations in connection with its community empowerment initiatives. A few of our major partners in Project Safe Neighborhoods, Weed and Seed and Public Housing Safety Initiatives are listed below.

Law Enforcement

United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms

Federal Bureau of Investigation

United States Drug Enforcement Administration

United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General

United States Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement

United States Marshals Service

Florida Department of Law Enforcement

Fort Pierce Police Department

St. Lucie County Sheriff's Department

Martin County Sheriff's Department

Okeechobee County Sheriff's Department

Highlands County Sheriff's Department

Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department

City of Del Rey Beach Police Department

Riviera Beach Police Department

West Palm Beach Police Department

Ft. Lauderdale Police Department

Pompano Beach Police Department

North Lauderdale Police Department

Broward Sheriff's Office

Hallandale Beach Police Department

Miramar Police Department

Florida Department of Corrections

Civilian Government Agencies and Departments

United States Department of Housing and Urban Development

Miami-Dade County Housing Authority

Palm Beach County Housing Authority

Non-Profits, Charitable Organizations, Businesses and Educational Institutions

United Way of Broward County Commission Substance Abuse

Helping Hands of Miami-Dade County, Inc.

5000 Role Models of Excellence of Miami-Dade County

Miami Coalition for a Safe and Drug Free Community, Inc.

The Elijah Project

Hosanna Community Foundation

Wayne Rawlins Consulting

Southern District of Florida Weed and Seed Sites:

Washington Park/Allen Park/Victory Park Weed and Seed

Liberty City/Little Haiti Weed and Seed

Homestead Weed and Seed

Palm of Hallandale Weed and Seed

Belle Glade Weed and Seed

Palm Beach County Weed and Seed

Riviera Beach Weed and Seed

Delray Beach Weed and Seed

Fort Pierce/St. Lucie Weed and Seed

West Palm Beach Weed and Seed

The Advocate Program

South Florida Work Force

Legal Services of Greater Miami

Transitions, Inc.

Broward County Commission on Homelessness

Addtional links

Ladies Empowerment & Action Program: www.leapforladies.org

Better Way of Miami: www.betterwaymiami.org

Citizens' Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County: www.citizenscrimewatch.com

Hosanna Community Foundation, Inc.: www.hosannacommunitybc.org

City of Opa-Locka Police Department: www.opalockafl.gov

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Program/City of Miami Parks & Recreation: www.miamigov.com