In May of 2001, to address the problem of violent crime in this country, President George W. Bush and Attorney General John D. Ashcroft announced Project Safe Neighborhoods ("PSN"), a comprehensive, strategic approach to reducing gun violence and promoting safe communities. PSN combats gun violence by bringing together local, state and federal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to implement a multi-faceted strategy to deter and punish gun violence. PSN has created unprecedented coordination among law enforcement officials, with an emphasis on prevention, tactical intelligence gathering, more aggressive prosecutions and enhanced accountability through performance measures.

Project Safe Neighborhoods National Conference was held on January 30 to February 1, 2003 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In attendance from the District of Connecticut were (Top row, left to right) Assistant State's Attorney Jeff Lee, Assistant State's Attorney Chuck Stango, Lt. Robert O'Connell – Hartford Police Department, Robert Price – Justice Education Center, Assistant State's Attorney Jack Doyle, Assistant Chief Lester McKoy – Hartford Police Department, Assistant Chief Douglas McDonald – New Haven Police Department, (bottom row) James Glasser – Criminal Chief, USAO, Dorinda Richetelli – Spectrum Associates, Eliot Hartstone – Spectrum Associates, Kevin J. O'Connor – United States Attorney, United States Attorney General John Ashcroft, Sherry Haller – Justice Education Center, Captain Lynn Kerwin – Bridgeport Police Department, Tom Daily – AUSA, and Dennis Turman, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

In 2002, federal prosecutions of defendants committing firearms offenses increased nationally by 20.2% - the highest increase since the Department of Justice began recording this information.

Connecticut's PSN program, and indeed much of the national strategic initiative, is modeled on the successful and nationally recognized strategic initiative to reduce violence and gun crime developed in New Haven in 1998. Federal and state prosecutors, Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives meet regularly with detectives and officers of the Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport and Stamford Police Departments to review all cases involving firearms to determine the most appropriate forum for prosecution. This protocol also brings special attention to each and every case that includes the use or possession of a firearm.

PSN's strategy also includes community outreach and the involvement of members of organizations in communities affected by crime. Connecticut's community based organizations reach out to those recently released from prison and young adults who may be at risk for engaging in criminal activity by offering a variety of resources, including job training, adult education, substance abuse counseling, family counseling and spiritual guidance.

One of the most important outreach initiatives is the monthly offender meetings held in Hartford, New Haven and Bridgeport. At these meetings, the partnerships, in coordination with the Connecticut Board of Parole, the Connecticut Probation Office and the Connecticut Department of Corrections, speak to 35-50 violent felons currently on some form of supervision. Each task force explains the team approach to gun crime, discusses recent cases that have gone through the state and federal system and attempts to persuade the attendees to think twice before possessing a firearm. The second part of these meetings consist of speakers from our community resource partners. These speakers discuss the availability of services to assist with anything from continuing education or obtaining a GED; fatherhood issues, such as custody, visitation and support; obtaining identification such as a valid Connecticut driver's license or certified birth certificates; to career resources, such as interview skills and resume writing. It is during this second half of the meetings that the attendees see that an effort is being made by law enforcement to assist them in making the right decisions.

The benefits from PSN are already apparent in Connecticut communities. From 1999 to 2002, federal firearms prosecutions have increased 100%. Eightly-one percent of all federal firearms cases in Connecticut result in pretrial detention and the average sentence for a felon in possession of a firearm is eight years for a guilty verdict and 6 years for a guilty plea.