SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announced today that the Department of Justice has awarded $ 143,935 to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program in the District of Puerto Rico. Funding will support community efforts to address the epidemic of gun crime and serious violence in the district. The grant, to the Puerto Rico Department of Housing, 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 key component of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, outlined by Deputy Attorney General Monaco in May 2021. The PSN 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 our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office, together with our federal, state and local law enforcement and community partners will continue to develop tailored solutions to the unique violent crime problems we face in Puerto Rico,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “Our partnerships are the most powerful tool to protect our communities from violent crime.”
“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 above 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.
In addition to the grant listed above, in recent weeks the Department of Justice has awarded the following additional grants to entities and organizations in Puerto Rico:
| Date | Recipient Agency | Grant | Amount |
| 8/12/22 | PR Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation | Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners | $ 288,426 |
| 8/25/22 | PR Department of Justice | Sex Offender and Registration Notification Act (SORNA) Reallocation Program | $ 251,001 |
| 8/25/22 | PR Department of Justice | VOCA Victim Compensation Formula Grant | $ 385,000 |
| 8/25/22 | PR Department of Justice | VOCA Victim Assistance Formula Grant | $13,684,986 |
| 8/31/22 | PR Department of Justice | Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Reallocation Funds Program | $ 125,500 |
| 9/6/22 | PR Department of Justice | Support for Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program | $ 400,000 |
| 9/6/22 | University of Puerto Rico | Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence | $ 550,000 |
| 9/8/22 | Oficina para el Desarrollo Socioeconómico y Comunitario | Title II Formula Grants Program | $ 608,772 |
| 9/16/22 | PR Department of Justice | Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program | $ 2,134,687 |
| 9/22/22 | PR Department of Justice | John R. Justice (JRJ) Formula Grant Program | $ 78,115 |
| 9/27/22 | Instituto de Ciencias Forenses | Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program | $ 293,954 |
| 9/27/22 | Administración de Servicios de Salud Mental y Contra la Adicción | Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program | $ 1,400,000 |
| 9/27/22 | PR Department of Justice | Building State Technology Capacity and Jabara-Heyer No HATE Act State-Run Hate Crime Reporting | $ 500,000 |
| 9/29/22 | Taller Salud, Inc. | Office of Justice Programs Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative | $ 2,000,000 |
| 9/29/22 | Instituto de Ciencias Forenses | DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program | $ 621,890 |
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
