United States Attorney James T. Jacks
Northern District of Texas

WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 2010
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txn/

U.S. ATTORNEY ANNOUNCES RECIPIENT OF PRESTIGIOUS
PROJECT SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS (PSN) ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Award Presented to Assistant Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Trent Touchstone
of the Northern District of Texas

DALLAS — At the 2010 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Annual Conference being held this week in New Orleans, Trent Touchstone, Assistant Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Texas (NDTX) was presented the Outstanding Individual Contribution to a Violent Crime Task Force Award, announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the NDTX. The award was presented this afternoon by Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary G. Grindler, before nearly 1000 attendees from the Justice Department, including U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the ATF, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service; the International Associate of Chiefs of Police, the National District Attorneys’ Association; and PSN task forces from across the country.

“A proven leader and powerful role model, Assistant Chief Deputy Touchstone’s success in bringing law enforcement agencies together in a common quest for safer neighborhoods has directly contributed to the apprehension of hundreds of violent fugitives and an overall reduction of gun crime in our district,” stated U.S. Attorney Jacks. “I congratulate and thank him for his commitment to the PSN initiative and to public safety, ” Jacks continued.

PSN is a Justice Department initiative to reduce gun and gang crime in the U.S. by networking existing local programs that target these crimes and provide additional tools needed for success. PSN task forces consist of federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, along with research and media outreach partners, and community leaders who specialize in prevention, reentry and education. Currently, more than 150 PSN task forces are working to create and maintain unique and tailored programs to deter gun and gang crime, and deploy grant funds to support effective enforcement, as well as prevention programs. Since its inception in 2001, more than $3 billion in federal funding has been used to hire new federal and state prosecutors, support investigators, provide training, distribute gun lock safety kits, deter juvenile gun crime, and develop and promote community outreach efforts as well as to support other gun and gang violence reduction strategies.

 Touchstone was recognized specifically for his work in establishing the Dallas/Fort Worth Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (DFW FAST). He developed partnerships and a strategic plan under the PSN initiatives for the NDTX that brought together 13 agencies, now assigned to DFW FAST, under the PSN umbrella. Part of his strategy included the development of a formalized case referral process and a notification process that ensures each agency is advised of the status of fugitive investigations in the North Texas area.

From the beginning, his proposed strategy has been successful and he has forged many new partnerships and collaborations with numerous state, local and federal agencies by basing his commitment on the PSN Initiative. The DFW FAST has been called upon by numerous agencies in exigent circumstances involving murders, kidnappings and other violent crimes. Since its inception, the DFW FAST has effected more than 9000 fugitive felony arrests resulting from the execution of 12,573 felony warrants, and seized more than 240 weapons, 65 kilograms of narcotics and $350,000 in cash from convicted felons. These arrests include violent fugitives who have been highlighted on America’s Most Wanted because of their extreme violence and disregard for innocent human life.

To find out about more about PSN and its local programs, visit the PSN website at www.psn.gov.

To learn more about DFW FAST, visit www.usmarshals.gov/district/tx-n/taskforces.

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