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Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee

In the summer of 1981, the Attorney General’s Task Force on Violent Crime, a bi-partisan group of national criminal justice experts tasked with examining federal, state, and local law enforcement needs, recommended that the Attorney General establish a forum to enhance inter-agency communication at all levels of law enforcement. The Attorney General acted on that recommendation and formed the Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (LECC) to improve coordination and cooperation among law enforcement agencies in an effort to enhance the effectiveness of the criminal justice system within each federal judicial district.

To facilitate the formation of the LECC program within the districts, Congress created the Law Enforcement Coordinator (LEC) position in 1986. The LEC represents the U.S. Attorney and the office on law enforcement panels, local and statewide committees, and law enforcement task forces. The LEC communicates with the U.S. Attorney or his designee to help set District priorities and to identify areas and projects in which the LEC should participate to further the goal of the LECC program.

Through the years, the LECC program has adapted to changing DOJ priorities and the varied and unique issues in each of the Districts. Each of the nation’s 94 United States Attorney’s Offices has a Law Enforcement Coordinator. The primary mission of each coordinator is to enhance cooperation and coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement. More recently, this mission has expanded to helping local governments, non-profit organizations, service providers, and community groups to better serve their communities and constituents in high crime and economically depressed areas in each District.

To fulfill its LECC mission, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida hosts annual regional Law Enforcement Coordination Meetings. The four regions include: (1) Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties; (2) Broward County; (3) Palm Beach County; and (4) St. Lucie, Martin, Highlands, Indian River and Okeechobee Counties. At these meetings, law enforcement from approximately 100 federal, state, and local agencies work together to develop effective crime fighting and prevention strategies and to share information and intelligence. These meetings help forge inter-jurisdictional partnerships, which are essential to effectively combat crime and make our communities safer.

In the Southern District of Florida, the LEC is responsible for: developing strategies to enhance coordination and cooperation among law enforcement agencies; helping to implement the DOJ's Project Safe Neighborhoods Program (PSN), which involves gun violence strategies, anti-gang initiatives, and ex-offender reentry strategies; helping to implement outreach programs for Project Safe Childhood (PSC), an anti-bullying, cyber bullying and internet safety program in middle schools; facilitating grass root involvement and cooperation among local governments, law enforcement agencies, and residents through training, conferences, workshops, inter-agency meetings, and community meetings; and, implementing the Violence Reduction Partnership (“VRP”) to address violent crime in Miami-Dade County communities of Overtown, Liberty City/Little Haiti, Miami Gardens, Goulds, Homestead and Florida City, as well as the cities of Hollywood, Ft. Lauderdale, Pompano, Lake Worth, West Palm Beach, and Fort Pierce.

 

Updated September 25, 2019