DOJ sends more than $268,000 to Western Washington to combat gun violence

The Department of Justice awarded $268,192 to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program in the Western District of Washington. 

Specific allocations by city or county were not included in the announcement.

Funding will support community efforts to address the epidemic of gun crime and serious violence in the district. 

The grant 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 component of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime. 

The 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 efforts. 

The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions. 

“This year we are expanding the reach of our district’s PSN program by adding partnerships in Clark, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown for the Western District of Washington. “We will also partner with the state Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention and our state Attorney General’s Office to identify and fund community strategies that work to prevent gun violence in high-risk populations.” 

“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 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.