Justice Department Awards More Than 17.5 Million To Support Project Safe Neighborhoods

CONTACT:    Barbara Burns
PHONE:    (716) 843-5817
FAX #:    (716) 551-3051

BUFFALO, NY – The Department of Justice announced today that it has awarded more than $17.5 million in grants to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. Funding will support efforts across the country to address violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. The Rochester Institute of Technology was awarded $148,584 to administer PSN grant funds in the Western District of New York. 

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), part of the department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will administer the 88 grant awards, which are being made to designated fiscal agents to support local PSN projects that work in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.

“This latest Project Safe Neighborhoods grant is critical to addressing the violent crime threatening cities and towns all across our country,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Ensuring the safety of all Americans is the highest priority for the Department of Justice, but when it comes to violent crime, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We have to work closely with local public safety agencies as well as community organizations to craft individual strategies unique to each community’s needs. Programs like Project Safe Neighborhoods and the funding it provides allow us to do just that.”

“Like many areas across the country, several communities in Western New York are experiencing an increase in violence, particularly gun violence,” stated U.S. Attorney Ross. “These Project Safe Neighborhood funds will allow us to continue working collaboratively with our law enforcement partners on proactive efforts to reduce gun violence in our communities.” 

Grant funds will support the Crime Analysis Centers in Erie, Niagara, and Monroe Counties. The funding will be used to support crime analysts who will focus on efforts to identify and reduce violent disputes.  

“Investing in our communities, supporting victims and building a justice system that both keeps people safe and earns their trust – these are mutually reinforcing goals that stand at the heart of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon for OJP. “The Office of Justice Programs is pleased to join with our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and with jurisdictions across the country, as we work together to meet the challenges of crime and violence and achieve our shared aspirations of public safety and community trust.”

In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime issued by Deputy Attorney General Monaco, is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.

This fall, U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country have enhanced their violent crime reduction efforts to ensure alignment with the department’s comprehensive violent crime reduction strategy. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have engaged in outreach to law enforcement and other agencies and organizations serving communities to identify the most significant drivers of violence in their districts. Working together with a broad coalition of stakeholders, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are addressing the most pressing violent crime issues in their district to make our neighborhoods safer for all.

In addition to awarding PSN funding, the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has also awarded to other organizations in the Western District of New York, including:

•    The International Institute of Buffalo has been awarded $2,015,000 to combat human trafficking through collaboration between law enforcement and service providers, to provide housing assistance grants to victims of human trafficking, and to provide services for youth victims of labor trafficking.
•    Compeer West, Inc. has been awarded $1,200,000 to support expansion of its multi-state mentoring program.
•    Monroe County has been awarded $700,000 for its Swift, Certain, and Fair Program, which focuses on reducing recidivism of firearm offenders.
•    The City of Rochester has been awarded $164,896 for violence prevention, crisis intervention services, and victims assistance.
•    The City of Niagara Falls has been awarded $40,648 and the City of Buffalo has been awarded $257,047 to support criminal justice initiatives.
•    The Seneca Nation of Indians has been awarded $422,695 to provide culturally appropriate victim services.
•    The City of Jamestown has been awarded $18,150 to purchase portable radios for the Jamestown Police Department. 
•    The Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project, Inc. has been awarded $800,000 to provide legal services to victims of human trafficking.  

The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

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