The U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday it has awarded more than $17.5 million in grants to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program across the country, including $53,802 for the U.S. Virgin Islands. Funding will support efforts across the country to address violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Virgin Islands.
“This latest Project Safe Neighborhoods grant is critical to addressing the violent crime threatening cities and towns all across our country,” said Deputy U.S. Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in the release. “Ensuring the safety of all Americans is the highest priority for the Department of Justice, but when it comes to violent crime, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. We have to work closely with local public safety agencies as well as community organizations to craft individual strategies unique to each community’s needs. Programs like Project Safe Neighborhoods and the funding it provides allow us to do just that.”
“Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of our crime reduction strategy in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is a tested and proven program to invest in our communities and foster vital partnerships,” U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert said. “A collaborative effort between federal and territorial partners is essential in reducing violent crime within our community.”
These grant funds will support strategies to address violent crime through coordinated enforcement, intervention, prevention, and reentry initiatives within the USVI.
