Sacramento, Calif. - Today, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced several Department of Justice actions to reduce the rising tide of violent crime in America. Foremost of those actions is the reinvigoration of “Project Safe Neighborhoods," a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
In announcing this recommitment to Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Attorney General issued a memo directing United States Attorneys to implement an enhanced violent crime reduction program that incorporates the lessons learned since Project Safe Neighborhoods launched in 2001. The Attorney General emphasized that Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department’s crime reduction strategy.
In a statement on the program, the Attorney General said: “Taking what we have learned since the program began in 2001, we have updated it and enhanced it, emphasizing the role of our U.S. Attorneys, the promise of new technologies, and above all, partnership with local communities. With these changes, I believe that this program will be more effective than ever and help us fulfill our mission to make America safer."
U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert stated, “My office has a strong track record of working with our federal, state and local partners to prosecute cases aimed at reducing violent crime in our communities. We have developed a model that relies on cooperation between federal and local law enforcement agencies to target the most violent street gangs plaguing cities in our district. We have deployed this strategy most recently in Solano County, Stockton, and Fresno, and we are committed to sustaining these efforts to help keep our communities safe for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is alive and well in the Eastern District of California."
Just last month, on September 8, 2017, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, together with the Fresno County District Attorney, announced the conclusion of a multi-agency operation that targeted Fresno-area street gangs and their associates. The operation resulted in the arrest of 15 defendants on federal drug and firearm charges and 14 defendants on similar state charges. The charges ranged from drug trafficking to illegally trafficking in firearms, and agents seized more than 30 firearms and multiple pounds of methamphetamine during the operation. This operation was the product of cooperative efforts by DEA, FBI, HSI, ATF, the Fresno Police Department, the Fresno County Sherriff’s Office, and the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC).
Project Safe Neighborhoods is a comprehensive program that emphasizes prioritized and targeted enforcement and focuses on violent crime prevention. In addition to its enforcement efforts, the United States Attorney’s Office is engaged in various prevention efforts throughout the district, including participation in a Ceasefire program in Stockton and the Safe Streets Partnership in Bakersfield, while also employing a full-time employee responsible for coordinating reentry resources.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
