U.S. Attorney’s Office forms a Project Safe Neighborhoods Leadership Committee

Press Release

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them by implementing the four PSN design elements: 1) Community Engagement, 2) Prevention and Intervention, 3) Focused and Strategic Enforcement, and 4) Accountability.

In October 2023, the U.S. Attorney's Office formed a Wyoming PSN Leadership Committee to determine where and how PSN resources would be used in Wyoming, develop and implement enforcement strategies to prevent and reduce crime and provide oversight and evaluation of the program's progress.

The PSN Leadership Committee reviewed and analyzed Wyoming crime statistics as reported to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and decided to concentrate PSN resources in Laramie County. Its focus is on the following areas of concern:

• Violent offenders who victimize children;
• Armed offenders, including individuals federally prohibited from possessing firearms;
• Violent crime recidivists;
• Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) offenders who commit a violent offense stemming from IPV and/or who use firearms during an IPV crime;
• Violent offenders who possess firearms while distributing controlled substances; and
• Violent offenders involved in human trafficking.

"The goal of bringing this committee together is to make Wyoming safer by supporting local and state law enforcement and prosecutors, and by prosecuting appropriate violent offenders in federal court where they will receive long prison sentences," said Acting U.S. Attorney Eric Heimann.

In early 2024, the Laramie County Sheriff's Office and the Cheyenne Police Department were approved to apply for and receive PSN grant funding to help prevent and reduce violent crime. Officials from both agencies, as well as officials from the Laramie County District Attorney's Office, have since joined the PSN Leadership Committee to provide important insight regarding the needs and concerns of Laramie County and participate in the development of programs and strategies that emphasize the core elements of PSN.

"Project Safe Neighborhoods is a vital partnership between all levels of law enforcement," said Cheyenne Police Chief Mark Francisco. "By combining our resources and expertise, we can effectively identify offenders, enhance prevention efforts, and strengthen our communities."

The program was tailored to combat the local violent crime problems. It enhances coordination and cooperation amongst public safety partners to ensure tactics, resources, and intelligence are integrated to identify and target violent offenders and criminal organizations operating within Laramie County.

Sheriff Brian Kozak said he will use the PSN resources to provide exceptional service to other criminal justice agencies in Laramie County and to help domestic violence victims. The Sheriff will host an advanced homicide investigation course for local detectives, and he plans to purchase state-of-the-art cameras to capture a victim's bruising following a domestic assault. Sheriff Kozak said, "The collaboration of the PSN Leadership Committee will help us to bring about justice following a violent crime."

The following agencies are currently participating in the PSN program and are represented on the Leadership Committee:

• Cheyenne Police Department
• Laramie County District Attorney's Office
• Laramie County Sheriff's Office
• Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police
• Wyoming Department of Corrections
• Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation
• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
• Drug Enforcement Administration
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Homeland Security Investigations
• United States Attorney's Office
• United States Marshals Service

"The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation is honored to be partnered with our state, local, and federal partners on the PSN initiative," said Ronnie Jones, Director of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation. "I am thankful for the cooperation, commitment and work the United States Attorney's office has provided to this program to help make our state a safer place to live and work. We look forward to seeing how all the stakeholders work together to implement new ideas and strategies to address local violent crime."

To learn more about programs within the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Wyoming, visit www.justice.gov/usao-wy. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit www.justice.gov/psn.

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Updated December 2, 2024