SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley and the Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force announced today that the Shreveport and Bossier City police departments have been awarded more than $161,000 in grants through a Department of Justice (DOJ), the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), under the Violent Gang and Gun Crime Reduction Program, also known as Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
The Shreveport Police Department will receive $132,984. The police department and the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office will use the funds to purchase law enforcement equipment and supplies. The Shreveport Police Department will act as fiscal agent. The goals are to improve criminal justice services and enhance police officer safety.
The Bossier City Police Department will receive $28,856. The police department and the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office will use the funds to purchase law enforcement equipment and supplies. The Bossier City Police Department will act as fiscal agent. The goal is to improve criminal justice initiatives.
The funds were made available through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program, which is a BJA grant program under DOJ that allows states and units of local government to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own state and local needs and conditions. This program furthers DOJ's mission and violent crime reduction strategy by providing support to state, local and tribal efforts to reduce gun and gang-related violent crime.
Various types of single or multi-grantee grant applications are allowed under the grant program that addresses the following:
* Gang violence and gun violence reduction, deterrence, prevention, community outreach and education;
* Enforcement, adjudication, and supervision programs;
* Prisoner reentry programs; or
* Other innovative related projects.
“These grants mean that law enforcement in our community will be better equipped to protect and serve," Finley stated. “I want to congratulate the police departments for being awarded these funds. It is through partnerships and grants like these that the mission of law enforcement agencies can be enhanced."
“The working relationships we have forged with our law enforcement partners are one of the cornerstones of our crime reduction strategies and they have paid tremendous dividends for the citizens of Shreveport," said Shreveport Police Chief Willie Shaw. “Working together we can accomplish anything and the dramatic decreases in crime across the board in our city are a testament to the importance of those collaborative partnerships."
“We appreciate the assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice in securing these funds to help keep our city safe," said Bossier City Police Chief Shane McWilliams. “These monies will enable our officers to increase enforcement in a number of areas including DWI saturation patrols and community policing initiatives including monitoring operations of registered sex offenders in our city."
Information about the FY2014 PSN Competitive Grant and links to other grants available, and information on the PSN Program can be found at the U.S. Attorney’s web site www.justice.gov/usao/law/ as well as www.justice.gov/usao/law/psn.html or at www.psn.gov and.
For more information, contact Western District of Louisiana Assistant U.S. Attorney and PSN and Anti-Gang Coordinator Robert W. Gillespie Jr. at (318) 676-3600.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
