The washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs (waspc) will serve as the fiscal agent for the western district of washington's project safe neighborhoods (PSN) team

The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) is serving as the fiscal agent for the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Formula Grant, CFDA 16.609, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The $268,588 grant will focus on reducing the harmful effects of community gun violence committed by and affecting juveniles across the Western District of Washington. WASPC will collaborate with state and local partners, including the Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention and the State Attorney General's Office, to identify high-need communities, assess critical gaps, and deploy strategies to address juvenile gun violence. The grant will fund a consultant to audit a high-need community and provide technical assistance in developing a data-driven approach to reducing gun violence in the area. This three-year grant, effective from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2027, is part of BJA's nationwide initiative to reduce violent crime through collaborative, comprehensive strategies involving federal, state, and local stakeholders.

The primary focus of the PSN grant will be reducing the harmful effects of community gun violence committed by and affecting juveniles. To achieve this goal, the district will continue to foster strategic partnerships across a broad range of state and local partners, collaborating with these entities to bring critical perspectives to strategic planningdiscussions. The geographic scope of our PSN team represents regions from the border of oregon in the south, the region north of seattle, and the south sound. The district is collaborating with representatives from the office of firearm safety and violence prevention (ofsvp) and the state attorney general's office. These state partners are similarly working towards the goal of reducing violent crime in our district. In a survey of the PSN team in 2024, juvenile violence was the primary area of concern for almost all participating jurisdictions. The PSN team will continue to meet regularly to assess which communities are most affected by juvenile gun violence, identifying critical gaps and needs within those communities. With this information, the PSN team will then identify a strategic outcome to address those needs. For FY24, the district will engage with a consultant to audit one of these high-need communities to provide critical technical assistance in deploying a strategy to reduce gun violence in the area.