Indiana gets more anti-violent crime funding

Nearly $657,000 has been allocated to the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana this year to continue efforts to reduce violent crime in the state and nationwide.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday the fiscal year 2018 grants for Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program designed to promote collaboration among law enforcement entities and equip those entities with resources that can help reduce violent crime. The Northern District of Indiana will receive $234,994 in FY18, while the Southern District will receive $421,952 in federal funding. In all, federal judicial districts across the nation will receive $28 million in PSN grant funding to combat violent crime, plus an additional $3 million for training and technical assistance.

Under the leadership of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Justice Department “reinvigorated” Project Safe Neighborhoods in October 2017. In addition to funding, several districts, including the Southern District of Indiana, received new prosecutors to focus exclusively on violent crime.

The Southern District has also outlined a five-component strategic plan for combatting violent crime via Project Safe Neighborhoods: leadership from U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler; partnerships at all levels of law enforcement; targeted law enforcement; prevention of additional violence; and accountability.  Northern District U.S. Attorney Thomas Kirsch II also pledged last year to create an enhanced version of PSN in his district, though it was not selected to receive additional prosecutors.

Speaking to the 2018 Indiana Law Enforcement Conference last month, Sessions praised Project Safe Neighborhoods as an effective method of carrying out President Donald Trump’s directive to the DOJ to reduce violent crime nationwide. The success of the program, he said, lies in the emphasis on local law enforcement efforts.

“Every city, every county, every neighborhood is different,” Sessions said in September. “That’s why we are listening to officers like you about what works, what doesn’t, and what your community needs. We are not telling you what to do – we are listening.”

In the Wednesday news release announcing the FY18 grants, the DOJ said it “has already started to observe positive signs of progress” thanks to its efforts toward reducing violent crime. According to the department, the nationwide violent crime rate fell by roughly 1 percent in 2017, while the homicide rate fell by almost 1.5 percent, according to the release. Further, preliminary 2018 data from 60 major cities shows a 5 percent decrease in violent crime in the first six months of the year, compared to the first six months of 2017.

“We know that the most effective strategy to reduce violent crime is based on sound policing policies that have proven effective over many years, which includes being targeted and responsive to community needs,” Sessions said in a statement released through the DOJ. “I have empowered our United States Attorneys to focus on enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals in their districts, and directed that they work together with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners to develop tailored solutions to the unique violent crime problems they face.”

The full list of Project Safe Neighborhood FY18 allocations is available here.