Justice Department Awards $1.2 Million To Address Youth Gang Prevention Efforts

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) awarded $1.2 million in grant funding aimed at reducing gang and youth violence in Clark County, specifically the development of programs that are crucial for the prevention, intervention, and suppression of MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, in Clark County.

“The Department of Justice views partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement, and community partners as a key component in combating transnational criminal enterprises,” said United States Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office Project Safe Neighborhoods program is a cornerstone of our violent crime prevention strategy and is a proven crime-reduction strategy to take violent offenders off of Nevada’s streets. We are proud to partner with law enforcement and community stakeholders to make Nevada safer.”

The application and administration of the grant is the result of a partnership by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Nevada Office of the Attorney General, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Clark County School District School Police Department, Southwest Gang Information Center, Latin Chamber of Commerce of Nevada, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and with commitments from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, Nevada Division of Child and Family Services, Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health, Nevada Victims of Crime Program, State of Nevada Advisory Council for Prosecuting Attorneys, and Nevada District Attorneys Association.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office intends to work with its partners to utilize the grant funds to augment its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. The grant funds will be utilized to develop and implement culturally-specific and culturally-sensitive programs, conduct outreach, create a customized gang suppression strategy, build information exchange protocols between local jurisdictions and other agencies, and strengthen collaboration among law enforcement, prosecutors, and other key stakeholders. The goal of the program is to dismantle MS-13, disrupt illegal enterprises, incarcerate MS-13 members and affiliates, and eliminate the threat of reprehensible crimes committed by MS-13 such as rape, murder, human trafficking, and robbery, thereby creating safer, healthier neighborhoods while restoring law and order.

PSN is a nationwide program by the Department of Justice that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.

More information about the OJJDP can be found at https://www.ojjdp.gov/.

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