Fiscal Note
There is no impact on cost controls or the levy. Grant funds will be deposited in a separate account in a special revenue fund.
Title
Authorizing the Mayor, City Clerk and Chief of Police to accept a Project Safe Neighborhoods award from the State of Wisconsin, Office of Justice Assistance in the amount of $17,152 and to utilize these funds toward crime prevention and anti-gang enforcement efforts.
Body
WHEREAS, the U.S. Dept. of Justice has developed a nationwide Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative to reduce the incidents of gun violence, by linking together federal, state, and local law enforcement, prosecutors, and community leaders, to provide a multifaceted approach to deterring and punishing gun crime; and,
WHEREAS, the PSN initiative has been expanded to include anti-gang prevention and enforcement efforts; and,
WHEREAS, this ongoing effort will allow local law enforcement to combat gangs by building on the effective strategies and partnerships developed under PSN; and,
WHEREAS, the Dane County Youth Gang Prevention Task Force Community Response Plan has outlined information regarding how Dane County has moved into the ranks of communities with full fledged generational gangs that have an active entrepreneurial drug trade resulting in a number of violent gang-related acts such as shootings, graffiti and rival group conflicts; and,
WHEREAS, although this is a long-term problem that must be dealt with using a variety of methods, the Madison Police Department has pledged to proactively respond to emerging illegal gang related activity through education, information sharing, and enforcement; and,
WHEREAS, the Madison Police Department has created a new seven-member Crime Prevention/Gang Unit to address these problems; and,
WHEREAS, in the past five years the Madison Police Department was awarded PSN grants totaling $351,276; and,
WHEREAS, the Madison Police Department has been awarded a 2009 PSN grant of $17,152 for the purposes ...
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