Project EJECT, Violent Crime Reduction, Mississippi 2018

Grimy Times

Mississippi Task Force Wins National Award for Crime Reduction

A U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi task force has won a national award for its efforts to reduce violent crime in Jackson, Mississippi. Project EJECT, a multi-disciplinary approach to combating violent crime, was one of only two task forces nationwide to receive the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) National Award for Outstanding Overall Partnership/Task Force.

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker presented the award to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi and its law enforcement partners at the 2018 Project Safe Neighborhoods National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. ‘Project Safe Neighborhoods is making our prosecutions more targeted and more effective—and that makes the American people safer,’ said Acting Attorney General Whitaker.

Project EJECT was launched in December 2017 as a PSN task force to combat violent crime occurring in Jackson, Mississippi. The task force brings together the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF, DEA, FBI, and U.S. Marshals Service, along with local law enforcement, community leaders, and business leaders. The task force employs a holistic approach to combating violent crime, including prevention, prosecution, reentry and rehabilitation, and awareness.

Since its launch, Project EJECT has reduced violent crime in the City of Jackson by over 7%. ‘Just one year ago, we launched Project EJECT with the intent of making our Capital City safer for everyone,’ said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst. ‘I’m incredibly proud of what our partners, our office and our prosecutors have been able to accomplish in such a short period of time.’

Project EJECT’s success is attributed to its collaborative approach and the involvement of community leaders and organizations. ‘From the initial proposals and discussions about the objective of the project, to numerous investigations and successful prosecutions, our Special Agents, Task Force Officers, Intelligence Analysts and Professional Support staff have worked countless hours to reduce violent crime and make our communities safer,’ said Christopher Freeze, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Mississippi.

Project EJECT is an example of the commitment to reducing violent crime in Mississippi. The task force’s success is a testament to the power of collaboration and community engagement in making our communities safer.

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