Foreword

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in America. Led by the United States Attorney in each of the 94 federal judicial districts, PSN calls on federal, state, and local agencies to accomplish a common goal: create safer neighborhoods by reducing gun crime and sustaining the reduction over time.

In every district, PSN incorporates five core elements: partnerships, strategic planning, training, outreach, and accountability. Many PSN task forces have focused their outreach efforts on media campaigns, but there is more to outreach than public service advertising. Outreach also includes engaging community groups in PSN—not only as recipients of messages to deter gun crime, but also as active participants in the initiative. The purpose of this monograph is to address questions that PSN task forces have been asking about community engagement: Who should be involved? What roles can community groups play? How can they become involved? And what benefits can we expect to see from community engagement?

Engaging the Community in Project Safe Neighborhoods is one of many resources available through the PSN Technical Assistance Program administered by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). Through this program, BJA works with several DOJ components and many other public and private sector partners. For more information about assistance with community engagement or any other aspect of PSN, see the PSN website (http://www.projectsafeneighborhoods.gov).