Project Safe Neighborhoods is a unique partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, county prosecutors, businesses, media and the community-at-large  created in response to the needs and concerns of our citizenry.  We heard you loud and clear – for too long, felons with guns have threatened our community.  Let’s work together to make our neighborhoods safer, more viable places to live through a comprehensive effort to reduce gun crime and get felons with guns off the streets.

Since the program was launched in the Eastern District of Michigan in 2002, Project Safe Neighborhoods has achieved excellent results in a short period of time.  The success of this deterrent program is due, in part to its holistic, long-term, three-prong approach of 1) prevention, 2) enforcement and 3) public awareness. Our prevention programs include Project Sentry, an award-winning outreach program that educates middle school students on the legal, medical and personal consequences of gun crimes.  We also partner with existing prevention oriented programs targeting both youth and adults. The enforcement component allows for federal prosecution of felons with guns, targeting repeat offenders with stiffer federal sentences and no chance of parole.  Public awareness is a three-part strategy comprised of 1) community outreach town halls, 2) working with the media to gain their buy-in in making communities safer, and 3) sending both strong deterrent messages to felons and action-oriented messages to citizens on how to take a proactive role in making their neighborhoods safe.

On behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, I invite you to actively use the information in this brochure and to get involved - help us to help you get illegal guns off the streets.

Sincerely yours,

Stephen J. Murphy