Action Formation of a SafeCities Network: Performance Partnerships To Reduce Gun Violence

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 133 (Tuesday, July 13, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37816-37817]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-17811]


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NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR REINVENTING GOVERNMENT


Action Formation of a SafeCities Network: Performance 
Partnerships To Reduce Gun Violence

Authority Citation

    Non-statutory.

Background

    All of our citizens deserve to live in safe, violence-free 
communities. The SafeCities Network builds upon the local, state, and 
federal partnerships that have helped improve the safety of our 
communities. SafeCities connects and supports innovative communities 
across the country collaborating to enhance public safety. SafeCities 
also seeks to minimize administrative barriers to problem solving and 
help communities maximize currently available federal resources.
    The initiative was recommended by the Crime Mapping and Data Driven 
Management Task Force, a joint task force of the Department of Justice 
and the National Partnership for Reinventing Government. It builds upon 
President Clinton's directive on Deterring and Reducing Gun Crime. It 
was formally announced by Vice President Gore on June 21, 1999 at the 
``Family Re-Union,'' an annual discussion of public policy from the 
perspective of families that he moderates in Nashville, Tennessee.

Announcement

    The SafeCities Network announces the formation of performance 
partnerships between the federal government and community-based 
partnerships to reduce gun violence. This is our first step toward the 
creation of a national network of communities working together to 
enhance public safety for their citizens. The network will encourage 
communities to collaborate with each other and the federal partners to:
    •  Reduce gun violence;
    •  Promote prevention, early intervention, and enforcement;
    •  Address barriers at the federal, state, and local level--
in ways allowable under current law--to increase the flexibility and 
effectiveness of resources;
    •  Obtain technical support and facilitate access to best 
practices employed in various communities; and
    •  Share lessons with other communities.

What Are the Benefits to Communities and Law Enforcement Agencies?

    This initiative is not a grant program. In order to help 
communities reduce gun violence and promote public safety the 
SafeCities Network will:
    •  Connect communities and law enforcement agencies with 
peers working on similar issues;
    •  Support partners and share lessons learned via a 
SafeCities website;
    •  Give national recognition to innovative communities for 
their effective strategies and results;
    •  Link to the U.S. Attorney and ATF integrated firearms 
violence reduction strategy;

[[Page 37817]]

    •  Link to other federal initiatives such as the Youth Crime 
Gun Interdiction Initiative, Gang Resistance Education and Training 
Program, Weed and Seed program, Strategic Approaches to Community 
Safety Initiative, and Partnerships to Reduce Juvenile Gun Violence;
    •  Facilitate access to technical support and expertise 
through a federal champion;
    •  Support consolidated planning on the community level and 
provide greater flexibility in administering grant funds with related 
goals as allowed under current law;
    •  Provide assistance in assessing factors contributing to 
gun violence in each community and tailoring strategies and tactics to 
address them; and
    •  Help communities and local law enforcement agencies 
measure results and obtain expert advice in devising strategies for 
collecting, analyzing, and using data to achieve results.

Who Can Apply To Be a Local Partner?

    Expressions of Interest can be submitted by the head of a 
community-based partnership, local government, network of local 
governments, state or local law enforcement agency, or network of state 
or local law enforcement agencies. Where state funds or agencies are 
involved or where federal funds flow through the state, there must be 
clear evidence of state partnership.

How Does My Community Express Interest in the SafeCities?

    Potential partners should submit a brief Expression of Interest. To 
minimize any burden, submissions should be under ten pages in length. 
Communities are encouraged to use existing plans and documents wherever 
possible.

Selection Criteria

    The National Steering Committee will select local partners based 
on:
    •  Existence of a partnership with a comprehensive plan to 
reduce gun violence using a balance of prevention, intervention, and 
enforcement strategies;
    •  Existence of explicit community goals or report card for 
public safety and a demonstrated commitment by the partners to use data 
to plan, implement, and evaluate strategies to reduce gun violence;
    •  Effective leadership and participation of key stakeholders 
such as federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, education 
officials, faith community representatives, business leaders, or other 
key community members;
    •  Readiness and commitment of partners to work together, cut 
red tape, coordinate operations, use current funding more effectively, 
and achieve better results;
    •  Potential impact of proposed performance partnership on 
the reduction of gun violence and time frame provided in the Expression 
of Interest; and
    •  Balance in terms of geography, demographic 
characteristics, and areas of focus.

National Partners

    The SafeCities Network will be supported by a Steering Committee 
that will include the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 
and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the 
Department of Justice, The Department of the Treasury, the Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the National Partnership for Reinventing 
Government, the White House Office of Management and Budget, and 
private sector partners.

Expressions of Interest

    Expressions of Interest in partnerships must be received by close 
of business on August 15, 1999. They may be submitted by mail, fax or 
electronically to: SafeCities, National Partnership for Reinventing 
Government, Suite 200, 750 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007, Fax: 
(202) 632-0390, SafeCities @npr.gov

More Information

    For questions or additional information, please call:

Jeff Slowikowski, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 
Prevention, (202) 307-5929
Malcolm Brady, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, (202) 927-7890
Pamela Johnson/Wesley Dickerson, National Partnership for Reinventing 
Government, (202) 694-0001
Pamela Johnson,
Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 99-17811 Filed 7-12-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3115-01-M