City of Compton Becomes Part of Justice Department-Sponsored Violence Reduction Network

LOS ANGELES – United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker and Los Angeles Sheriff Jim McDonnell today announced that the City of Compton has been selected to become part of the Violence Reduction Network, a Justice Department program that focuses on providing effective assistance to cities most affected by chronic violence.

Compton becomes part of the second group of cities to become part of VRN, which was launched last year to create opportunities for cities to directly engage with the United States Department of Justice in developing strategies to combat chronic, violent crime. The two-year program will enable Sheriff’s Department officials at the Compton Station to work closely with the Department of Justice and city officials to address 12 key areas, including gang violence and prevention, human trafficking, mental illness and homelessness, at-risk youth and trust-building in the community.

“This initiative presents a unique opportunity to work in partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office, our federal law enforcement partners, community leaders, and the City of Compton as we work together to develop enhanced strategies for violence reduction” said Sheriff McDonnell. “While we have made many great strides over the years in addressing violent crime in the Compton community, we know all too well that challenges remain and we owe it to the men, women and children of Compton to develop new thinking that will enable us to be doing more on their behalf. I am confident that today’s launch will not simply improve public safety in the City of Compton, but also make crime reduction strategies in Compton a model for other cities around the nation.”

United States Attorney Decker commented: “For decades, Compton has been deeply affected by violence linked to gangs and other criminal activity. The residents of Compton deserve safe neighborhoods and parks where their children can play. We are committed to helping city officials and Sheriff McDonnell make meaningful and long-lasting improvements to the daily lives of Compton residents.”

Compton is one of five cities selected today by the Justice Department as partners in the fight against chronic violence (see: http://go.usa.gov/3zbtR).

As part of the Violence Reduction Network, an Assistant United States Attorney has been designated to work out of the Sheriff’s Department’s Compton Station to coordinate resources. The United States Attorney’s Office also will work closely with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office to coordinate criminal prosecutions in federal and state courts.

Four Justice Department agencies have committed significant resources and will work closely with the Sheriff’s Department. Those agencies are the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the United States Marshals Service; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The Violence Reduction Network will provide the Sheriff’s Department with technical assistance and access to resources as part of a robust violent crime strategy that will be supported by federal law enforcement agencies. The Justice Department program seeks to maximize resources to ensure that cities dealing with chronic violence have a strategic way to access resources such as training and exposure to evidence-based best practices across the country. Compton was selected to be part of VRN, in part, because of LASD Sheriff McDonnell’s recognition of the value and benefits presented by this unique opportunity, as well as the deep commitment of LASD and local government officials to partnerships and civic engagement aimed at crime reduction.

For the next two years, the Sheriff’s Department and the City of Compton will benefit in a number of ways. The core components of the Violence Reduction Network include expedited access to subject matter experts who can provide training and insight into the critical issues – such as use of force, community trust-building and information sharing with peer-to-peer exchanges – that can provide a more thorough understanding of what drives violent crime and what solutions have worked in other cities.

In addition to access to training and evidence-based solutions to community-building and crime reduction, the Violence Reduction Network also enables Compton Station’s gang enforcement, narcotics detectives and cyber-crimes teams to strategically partner with Justice Department components on intelligence gathering, sharing, warrants service and major operations.