Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, Violent Crime, Pennsylvania 2024

WASHINGTON – The federal government 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 Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency was awarded $172,353 to administer PSN grant funds in the Western District of Pennsylvania.

This latest Project Safe Neighborhoods grant is critical to addressing the violent crime threatening cities and towns all across our country, according to 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.

PSN relies on cooperation and teamwork between law enforcement and the community. Reductions in violence occur only when we engage with community-based partners who understand the pulse of their neighborhoods, said U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung of the Western District of Pennsylvania.

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.

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.

PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies, community stakeholders and other agencies and organizations that work to reduce violent crime.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/justice-department-awards-more-175-million-support-project-safe-neighborhoods