Washington, DC – Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT) today heralded the announcement by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance that over $116,000 will be made available to The Connection, Inc., to help fund Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide commitment to reducing gun crime that links existing local programs together and provides them with tools to combat gun violence.

“Nothing we do is as important as ensuring the public safety and protecting American families,” said Congresswoman DeLauro. “With this grant, Connecticut police will have the resources they need to reduce gun violence in our communities, prosecute gun offenders, and keep our citizens safe.”

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) takes a hard line against gun criminals, using every available means to create safer neighborhoods; seeks to achieve heightened coordination among federal, state, and local law enforcement; and 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 Connection Inc., serving as the fiscal agent for the District of Connecticut, will use the grant funds to support PSN initiatives that target both gun crime and gang-related violence. The PSN task force will maintain the effectiveness of the firearms response units and gang task forces in each of the PSN target cities of Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, Waterbury, Norwalk, New London, and

New Britain by providing necessary overtime and equipment. It will also assign Assistant United States Attorneys to each of the PSN task forces to advise on issues relating to wiretaps, investigative strategies, witnesses, and confidential informants. In addition, PSN works to reduce firearm and gang-related crime by maintaining an increased police presence and arming law enforcement officers with technologically advanced equipment.

For additional information about current and upcoming funding opportunities at the Bureau of Justice Assistance, see http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/funding/current-opp.html.