The Department of Justice announced today the launch of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Anti-Gang Training. The training is being held in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, beginning today through Thursday, Jan. 31 for more than 550 attendees. The regional training will focus on anti-gang training for North Carolina and South Carolina law enforcement, prosecutors, prevention and re-entry representatives. The conference opened this morning with comments from U.S. Attorney Anna Mills Wagoner, of the Middle District of North Carolina and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Haynes of the District of South Carolina. U.S. Attorney George Holding of the Eastern District of North Carolina is scheduled to provide comments at the close of the training.
The goal of this new anti-gang training program is to improve the level of knowledge, communication, and collaboration involved in addressing the criminal gang issue impacting communities throughout the nation. Courses are comprehensive and focus on gang-related prevention, enforcement, prison re-entry programs, and an executive session which is geared toward law enforcement executives. The executive session focuses on the development of a strategic plan by the attendees to address their local criminal justice issues and challenges. The training will assist state and local jurisdictions in the collection, analysis, and exchange of information on gang-related demographics, legislation, literature, research, and promising program strategies. Additionally, the training will provide state and local law enforcement and criminal justice agencies the tools necessary to recognize and identify gang presence in a community. This training will be offered regionally throughout the United States.
“This anti-gang training will play a critical role in assisting our state and local criminal justice partners in eradicating gangs and gang violence from our communities,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Craig S. Morford. “It will allow them to more effectively combat the problem and provide for safer neighborhoods across the country.”
This unique training compliments DOJ’s anti-gang initiative by bringing together the expertise of several of its components – the Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices; Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Marshals Service; and the Department’s Criminal Division – to provide training and assistance to our state and local counterparts.
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