Gang violence

05/29/2009 -- Building on his commitment to combat gang violence and protect public safety, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today joined law enforcement officials in Salinas to highlight California’s Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention (CalGRIP) funding and to announce the first-ever “Gifts for Guns” program in the area, modeled after the program created by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.    » read more »

Legislation seeks to reduce supply of illegal guns, increase penalties and comply with federal requirements

BOSTON– Wednesday, May 6, 2009 – Continuing Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s efforts to reduce gun violence and strengthen public safety, Public Safety Secretary Kevin M. Burke today announced that the Patrick-Murray Administration has filed a bill to give police and prosecutors more tools to tackle illegal gun use and make the Commonwealth a safer place to live, work, and raise families.    » read more »

May 5, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that the state has applied for $470,955 in federal stimulus funds that would allow the state to continue its efforts in combating gang violence and taking illegal guns off the street.

The one-year grant would be used to fund four key positions in the Department of Correction that are responsible for providing prison intelligence to regional task forces that address gang and fugitive activity, gun violence and terrorist threats.    » read more »

Funds Will Assist Prevention, Intervention and Enforcement Efforts

03/26/2009 -- As part of his continued commitment to combating gang violence, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the awarding of more than $9.2 million in competitive grants to provide local assistance funding to 17 cities and 13 community-based organizations in areas with heavy concentrations of gangs. The Governor made the announcement at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Gifts for Guns event where he promoted that program for providing citizens with an incentive to surrender firearms that could potentially be stolen and used in a crime or to injure someone.    » read more »

Washington, DC -- February 10, 2009 -- The U.S. Chargé d'Affaires to Belize, J.A. Diffily, signed a letter of agreement on February 9, 2009 with the Government of Belize implementing the Merida Initiative, a multi-year regional effort to combat organized crime, gangs, and the trafficking of narcotics and firearms.

Minister of National Security Carlos Perdomo signed the letter on behalf of the Belizean government. Also present was Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of National Security, Lloyd Gillett. The signing of the letter provides an initial $1,008,000 in funding for the first year of the Merida Initiative.    » read more »

February 2, 2009 -- According to the 2009 National Gang Threat Assessment released by the National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC) and the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), approximately one million gang members belonging to more than 20,000 gangs were criminally active in the U.S. as of September 2008. The assessment was developed through analysis of available federal, state, and local law enforcement information; 2008 NDIC National Drug Threat Survey (NDTS) data; and verified open source information.    » read more »

Half of Chicago Homicides Linked to Gangs

August 11, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) today applauded the Department of Justice (DOJ)'s decision to include Chicago - where half of all homicides are gang-related - in the Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative, a move that the Senators requested in April. Through this initiative, $2 million will be made available for Chicago area law enforcement agencies to assist in developing plans to combat gang violence and implementing anti-gang strategies using three components of prevention, enforcement, and prisoner reentry.    » read more »

May 28, 2008 -- STOCKTON -- California Department of Justice special agents, in partnership with the Stockton Police Department, today arrested members of the violent Norteno street gang, which terrorized Stockton with drive-by shootings and crystal methamphetamine trafficking at the direction of the Nuestra Familia prison mafia.    » read more »

May 14, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - In response to a request from U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL), Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip today announced the Department of Justice (DOJ)'s intention to hold an anti-gang training program this summer in Chicago, Illinois as a component of the Project Safe Neighborhoods.

Chicago gang graffiti: Photo by Samuel A. Love (CC)

Additionally, in today's meeting, Durbin pressed Filip for a greater commitment from DOJ and reiterated his request for Chicago to be included in the Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative which would devote more federal resources to Chicago.    » read more »

Recent spike in violent crime warrants additional federal resources

April 28, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) today asked for a meeting with Justice Department officials and Illinois Congressional Delegation members to discuss including the Chicago metropolitan area in the Department of Justice (DOJ)'s Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative - a program created in 2006 to enhance gang prevention, enforcement, and anti-recidivism efforts.

Senator Barack Obama: Photo by Barack Obama campaign (CC)    » read more »

Two of six bills up in committees today

April 1, 2008 -- TALLAHASSEE – Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that as the 2008 Legislative Session reaches its midpoint, all six bills supported by the Attorney General as his legislative priorities this year are making good progress in the Legislature. The bills cover a wide range of issues related to protecting the safety and security of Floridians, from enhancing the rights of victims of child pornography to providing additional protections against mortgage-related fraud.

Two of the Attorney General’s legislative priorities will be heard in committee today. They are:    » read more »

Sheriffs, police chiefs to partner with the state on gang prevention efforts

March 31, 2008 -- OLYMPIA – Signaling her commitment to fighting gang activity, Washington Governor Chris Gregoire today signed the criminal street gang measure, House Bill 2712. In addition, the governor and Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) announced that community involvement in gang prevention and intervention program planning will be a required component of all grant applications for enforcement funds.

In expressing her appreciation to the law enforcement community and legislators for participating in a work group upon whose recommendations the bill was built, the governor said she wanted to do more.    » read more »

Federal funds are for local, “front-line” anti-crime and drug enforcement efforts

March 3, 2008 -- Calling the funding essential to the operation of state crime and drug enforcement efforts, the 56 Attorneys General from all jurisdictions of the United States today issued a letter calling on Congressional leaders to restore funding to the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.    » read more »

Provide Job Training for Troubled, At-Risk Youths

03/03/2008 -- As part of an overall strategy to combat gang violence, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the award of $9.2 million in competitive grants to cities and community-based organizations (CBOs) for gang prevention, intervention and enforcement; and $7.3 million in grants to provide job training and education programs targeting youth at risk of joining gangs or seeking to leave them.    » read more »

March 03, 2008 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) -- New Mexico Attorney General Gary King today joined attorneys general from all jurisdictions of the United States in asking Congress to restore funding to the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.

Byrne-JAG is currently the only source of funding available to local and state law enforcement for multijurisdictional drug enforcement, including methamphetamine initiatives, and is a critical source of funds for drug courts, law enforcement collaboration, gang prevention, and prisoner reentry programs.    » read more »