Department of Justice Awards Grant to Project Safe Neighborhoods Program

Fairview Heights, Ill. – U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe announced today that the Department of
Justice has awarded $91,731 to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program in the Southern
District of Illinois. Funding will support community efforts to address the epidemic of gun crime
and serious violence in the district. The grant, to Hoyleton Youth and Family Services, is one of a
number of awards being made to state and local agencies across the country. Funds are administered
by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, part of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.

Launched two decades ago as an evidence-based and community-oriented response to serious gun crime,
Project Safe Neighborhoods, known as PSN, is a key component of the Department’s Comprehensive
Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, outlined by Deputy Attorney General Monaco in May 2021. The
PSN approach is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities;
supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first
place; setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities; and measuring the results of our
efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of
arrests or prosecutions.

“Partnering with organizations like Hoyleton Youth and Family Services is vital to our efforts to
combat the scourge of gun violence that plagues so many of our local communities and we are proud
to have a role in financially supporting the great work it does,” said U.S. Attorney Crowe. “Strong
collaboration between our law enforcement agencies and community groups and organizations is the
best means of fostering the safe communities which all of this district’s residents deserve.”

“Reducing violence and sustaining those reductions will require strong partnerships between
criminal justice agencies and community stakeholders and a shared commitment to the safety and
well-being of every community member,” said OJP Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen
Henneberg. “The investments we are making through Project Safe Neighborhoods will enable
every stakeholder to play a part in building safer and healthier communities.”

PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies
and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention and
intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and
accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in
neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented.

“Over its two-decade history, Project Safe Neighborhoods has evolved to meet the complex challenges
of community violence by enlisting the insights and expertise of local partners and by relying on
the latest evidence,” said BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore. “We are proud to support our U.S.
Attorneys and their allies in their critical work to curb violent crime and build the mutual trust
necessary to ensure lasting success.”

The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More
information about awards under PSN and other OJP grants can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page.

The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance
and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial
equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More
information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.