Puerto Rico PSN Initiative

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide commitment to reducing gun crime, links existing local programs together and provides them with necessary tools. PSN 1) takes a hard line against gun criminals, using every available means to create safer neighborhoods; 2) seeks to achieve heightened coordination among federal, state, and local law enforcement; and 3) emphasizes tactical intelligence gathering, more aggressive prosecutions, and enhanced accountability through performance measures. The United States Attorney in each federal judicial district will lead the offensive. The fiscal agent, in coordination with the PSN Task Force, will allocate funds throughout the community.

The Municipality of San Juan, serving as the fiscal agent for the District of Puerto Rico, will use the grant to reduce gun violence and gun-related crimes by developing partnerships with state and local law enforcement agencies, non-profit entities, and community-based programs. The initiative will target and apprehend fugitives wanted for gang-related and weapons trafficking offenses, and encourage youth by providing access to positive activities that have been successful in preventing violence, illegal firearms use, and drug use. The district's strategy will be accomplished with the assistance of the San Juan Police Department's Bureau of Community Affairs, who will develop crime prevention and educational programs for children from 7 to 17 years of age in communities, schools, and public housing complexes, offering a comprehensive anti-gang and delinquency prevention curriculum of lessons, conferences, and activities which will include the following: life skills, gang prevention, conflict management, importance of staying in school, self esteem, healthy living, drugs, guns and conflict avoidance and age appropriate prevention materials, movies, documentaries, displays, and external resources among others. School officials will assess local needs and priorities. Federal and local law enforcement officials will be invited to participate in prevention workshops. The Alliance for a Drug-Free Puerto Rico will provide behavior-shaping workshops to youth housed in juvenile institutions due to illegal firearms and gang-related offenses. The workshops will focus on decision-making, peer pressure, resiliency, self esteem, dealing with rejection, and drug and violence prevention. The PSN Strike Force is composed of the Puerto Rico Police Department, the United States Marshall Services, and the Puerto Rico Fugitive Task Force. The Strike Force will track and apprehend targeted criminals across Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rico Institute of Forensic Sciences (PRIFS) will use their share of grant funds to hire a technician to perform test firings on seized and found firearms, process required case documents, enter firearm-casing images into two computerized Brass Trax units, and enter casing images into the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) Database.

NCA/NCF