NEWS RELEASE

L.A. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ROLL-OUT
PROJECT SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS

COMPREHENSIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM BRINGS TOGETHER FEDERAL AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO TARGET GUN VIOLENCE

LOS ANGELES - Top law enforcement officials and prosecutors joined together today to announce that they are working together to combat criminals with guns in an initiative called Project Safe Neighborhoods.

At a press conference in South Los Angeles, participants in Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) committed their resources and expertise to continue to target gun crimes in two law enforcement sectors - the Los Angeles Police Department's 77th Street Division and the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's Century Station - as well as in other parts of the Los Angeles area. The announcement was made at a symbolic location at the corner of 85th Street and Central Avenue, which is the dividing line between the 77th Street Station and the Century Station, and is also across the street from a restaurant where a gang-related shooting in August took the lives of two people.

As part of PSN in Los Angeles County, federal law enforcement agents have been working with LAPD officers and LASD deputies to arrest criminals who use guns and those who lead violent criminal gangs. Federal and state prosecutors are coordinating efforts to ensure that these criminals receive the longest sentences possible.

Under PSN, the federal government is giving grants totaling well over $1 million to pay for increased law enforcement and prosecutorial efforts against gun crimes. Grants are also going to community-based organizations that work to help prevent youth from becoming involved in gun violence.

To publicize the increased attention PSN is bringing to gun crimes, the Los Angeles Police Department, working with a local video production company, has developed public service announcements that will be broadcast on television and will be displayed on billboards in the neighborhoods covered by the project.

Coming together to announce PSN today were:

* Debra W. Yang, the United States Attorney in Los Angeles, whose office has dedicated several prosecutors to handle gun prosecutions in federal court.
* Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton. The LAPD has received $150,000 in grant funds to be used for media outreach, and is receiving $142,500 to fund investigations and the salary of an LAPD Officer who will work with the ATF to develop cases based on tracing of crime guns.
* Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Chief Michael Nagaoka. The LASD is also receiving $142,500 in grant funds to support investigations and the salary of a sheriff's deputy to be assigned to work with the ATF to develop cases based on tracing of crime guns.
* Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley. The District Attorney's Office is receiving $140,355 in grant funds to pay the salary of a Deputy District Attorney who will vertically prosecute gun cases arising in the target neighborhoods.
* Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo. The City Attorney's Office is receiving $133,390 in grant funds to pay the salary of a Deputy City Attorney who will be assigned to prosecute gun cases arising in the target neighborhoods and will be cross-designated as a Special Assistant United States Attorney to follow some of these cases to federal court.
* FBI Assistant Director in Charge Ronald Iden, whose office is investigating some of Southern California's most violent street gangs.
* ATF Special Agent in Charge Don Kincaid, whose office has recently implemented innovations such as the Southern California Regional Crime Gun Center, which provides law enforcement with "one-stop shopping" for information on guns used in crimes.
* DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge John Fernandes, who said his office is fully committed to its partnership with state, local and other federal officials to defend the community against drugs and drug-related gang violence.
* Debbie A. Nelson, director of the Los Angeles County Probation Department's Specialized Enforcement Operations, whose division will be using $200,000 in federal grant funds to support intensive supervision of juveniles in the hopes of deterring future criminal conduct.
* Other agencies participating in PSN are: IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Small Business Administration's Office of Inspector General, the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General, the Department of Agriculture's Office of Inspector General, the Bureau of Customs and Immigration Enforcement, and the Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General.
* Additionally, PSN is being supported by Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn, who said that additional resources and strong interagency partnerships established by Project Safe Neighborhoods will enable us to reduce random acts of gun violence and restore the quality of life for our residents.
* At the center of PSN is a coordinated effort to aggressively investigate gun offenses and then determine the best forum for prosecution. While there are lengthy sentences associated with federal gun offenses - for example, carrying a gun during a crime of violence carries a mandatory five-year federal prison term that runs consecutively to the sentence for the underlying crime - California has strong gun laws, as well as the "three-strikes" law which applies to some criminals.
* "Fortunately, violent crimes have been on the downswing for over a decade," said United States Attorney Debra W. Yang. "Today, the overall crime rate is at a 32-year low. But there is still too much killing, too much violence, too many criminals walking around with firearms. Project Safe Neighborhoods places a special focus on solving that problem. When the president proposed PSN, he charged all U.S. Attorneys to implement this initiative. Today, I am pleased to present it to the public."
* District Attorney Steve Cooley said: "Historically, the District Attorney's Office prosecutes 60,000 felonies a year and 240,000 misdemeanors. Despite the incredible volume of cases, our office has done a solid job in aggressively prosecuting a wide variety of gun-related cases. We're grateful for the additional help, particularly in these stressful budgetary times and the loss of 10 percent of our prosecutors over the past two years."
* According to Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo: "The Project Safe Neighborhoods grant represents a smart investment in the safety and security of Los Angeles residents. My office will use these resources to ensure that the residents of South Los Angeles are free from the terrible gun violence that for too long has caused them to face crime and death. Through our continued efforts, we will work to ensure a brighter and safer future for our residents."
* Donald Kincaid, who is the Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, stated: "Project Safe Neighborhoods is one of ATF's top national priorities. In Southern California, ATF's collaborative efforts with its PSN partners - along with various, interrelated investments and initiatives, such as the GREAT program, the YCGII program, the NIBIN program, the ACES West task force and the Southern California Regional Crime Gun Center - have begun to pay significant dividends."
* FBI Assistant Director in Charge Ronald Iden said: "In 1992, the FBI formed the Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Crimes (LAMTFVC), and many of the task force member agencies are represented here today. Since the inception of LAMTFVC, 2,250 violent gang members have been arrested. We look forward to using the experience gained over the last decade as we participate in PSN. The FBI also wishes to state clearly that, while we are putting new resources into the fight against terrorism, we will continue to dedicate substantial personnel and resources to the fight against violent gangs on the streets of Los Angeles."
* Coupled with enforcement and prosecution are broad-based efforts to publicize the penalties for gun crimes and to support other programs that will deter individuals, particularly juveniles, from engaging in gun crimes.
* The LAPD has developed public service announcements intended especially for Los Angeles. V12, a Santa Monica company, has developed a 30-second announcement that will be broadcast on local television stations. V12, which did not charge the LAPD for its work, has also developed a print campaign that will be displayed on billboards throughout South Los Angeles.
* A $65,000 grant is going to the non-profit organization PAX to support "Campaign Speak Up," a school-based program aimed at preventing juvenile gun violence.
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* For more information on Project Safe Neighborhoods see: www.psn.gov <http://www.psn.gov>.
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* CONTACT: Assistant United States Attorney Ted Moreton, PSN coordinator
* (213) 894-3358
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* USAO Release No. 03-176