National Project Safe Neighborhoods Conference
The National Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) conference met for three days starting June 15th through the 17th. Attorney General John Ashcroft spoke to over 1,150 federal, state, and local prosecutors, law enforcement officials, community leaders, and other members of the PSN teams from across the nation, who came together to discuss efforts to reduce and prosecute gun crime.
"Through Project safe Neighborhoods' unprecedented partnership of state, local and federal leaders, we are turning the tide on gun crime," said Attorney General Ashcroft. "We are taking gun-wielding criminals off our streets. The last three years represent a record of great success, but working together, we can do even more to make our neighborhoods safe."
From FY 2000 to FY 2003, federal firearms prosecutions increased by 68%. In FY 2003, the Justice Department filed over 10,500 federal firearms cases - the highest number ever recorded by the Department. The number of defendants charged with federal gun crimes rose from approximately 10,600 to over 13,000 from FY 2002 to FY 2003, a record increase of almost 23%.
Project Safe Neighborhoods has contributed to decreasing the violent crime rate to its lowest levels in 30 years. The violent crime rate for the first two years of the Bush Administration (2001-2002) was nearly 21% lower than for 1999-2000. The percapita number of violent crimes involving firearms has dropped 14% in 2001-2002, from 1999-2000. There were approximately 64,000 fewer gun crimes and approximately 12% (almost 130,000) fewer victims of gun crime in 2001-2002, than in 1999-2000.
PSN Chicago is a partnership with these organizations:
