Tag: project safe neighborhoods

DALLAS

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas on Tuesday announced the expansion of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program into Northwest Dallas to combat violent crimes.

The program aims to reduce violent crime by utilizing data, intelligence and community engagement, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould said during a press conference.

The key partners in this project include the FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; IRS and local police agencies, Raybould said.

“We work very closely with the (Dallas police) chief here to pinpoint areas with significant violent crime rates. It combines and leverages federal, state and local law enforcement officials, prosecutors and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in our community,” Raybould said.

Northwest Dallas has become a “corridor for organized criminal” activity, Raybould said. Law enforcement agencies said they have seen networks that exploit people, traffic narcotics and illegally move firearms.

“Oftentimes, these crimes like drug trafficking and sex trafficking do not occur in isolation,” Raybould said.

Traffickers rely on guns for intimidation, control and protection of their criminal proceeds along with drugs to entrap and manipulate victims, launder money and commit various tax crimes, Raybould said.

The program also provides support and resources to the victims through specialists who help them through the criminal process by accompanying them to court and notifying them of upcoming events along with mental health and counseling services, Raybould said.

He said the goal for Northwest Dallas is to reduce violent crime linked to drugs, guns and human trafficking and increase early victim identification.

“Our goal is ultimately, we want people to have a safe and better life,” Raybould said.

Project Safe Neighborhoods provides the FBI and its partners with a platform to collaborate and develop a comprehensive approach to target significant violent crime in neighborhoods all across the nation, said Dallas FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Wright said.

“We all live in the same communities and have the same role in fighting violent crime,” Wright said. “When we stand together, law enforcement, prosecutors, community leaders and residents … we will all succeed in making our community safer.”

The project is “truly important to the city” of Dallas, Chief of Police Daniel Comeaux said.

“The collaboration that we have with our federal partners — that’s going to help keep Dallas safe,” Comeaux said.

Why is Project Safe Neighborhoods expanding in Texas?

Project Safe Neighborhoods operates in parts of Fort Worth, Northeast Dallas, and other areas of Texas.

When asked why the program is expanding now and why the community should trust federal policing, Raybould said, “We’ve had conversations with our state, local and federal partners, and the time is now to come into this area. We’re looking at anyone and everyone — businesses, individuals — with all options on the table to reduce violent crime.”

He said the program aims to earn community trust by “showing them the results.”

“Part of the critical mission of what we do at PSN is community outreach,” Raybould said. “We routinely have these events to try to break down those barriers, but I have complete trust in the gentleman up here with me today that we make this community safer and continue to foster those deep bonds.”

The community has raised concerns directly to the police chief and the federal agencies, so the program aims to have “more of a microscope to look at what’s happening,” he said.

Raybould added that the Department of Homeland Security Investigations has been a critical partner in all Project Safe Neighborhood programs.

“This is a violent crime reduction,” Wright, the FBI agent, said. “This is not an immigration enforcement activity. We’re going to help the citizens of North Dallas. We live and work here. My office is very close to here. I know how this community needs the help that the U.S. attorney is bringing.”