Anti-Gang Training Conference Taking Place in Dearborn
Part of Department of Justice Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative

United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced today that a three-day training session is being held in Dearborn, Michigan to address the issue of gang violence. The conference is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative.

"Reducing gang violence is essential to improving the quality of life in our neighborhoods, but we can't simply arrest our way out of this problem," U.S. Attorney McQuade said. "This conference brings together community leaders and law enforcement officials to develop long-term strategies to reduce gang violence." The goal of the training is to improve the level of knowledge, communication, and collaboration involved in addressing the criminal gang issue affecting communities throughout the nation. The curriculum is based on current policies and proven practices and strategies in the criminal justice field. The training was developed in accordance with the U.S. Department of Justice Initiative for Safer Communities to deliver comprehensive anti-gang training that addresses prevention, enforcement, and prisoner reentry issues for state and local law enforcement and related partner organizations.

Attendees at the conference will have the opportunity to participate in training sessions that address a variety of different issues. Such issues will include national and regional gang trends, overviews of crime gun tracing through the National Tracing Center, characteristics of armed gang members, fugitive investigations, working with cooperating witnesses and confidential informants, interviewing techniques, and charging tools. In addition to the law enforcement based courses, participants will also have the opportunity to learn about intervention and prevention issues such as why youths join gangs, community gang problem assessment, working with probation and parole to efficiently decrease gang violence in their communities, and working with parents and schools to develop strategies to address gang violence.

This training is a collaborative effort among federal partners. Those partners include the Academy for Educational Development, American Probation and Parole Association, Fox Valley Technical College, Hobson and Associates, Institute for Law and Justice, International Association of Chiefs of Police, Justice Center, the Council of State Governments, Michigan State University, National Crime Prevention Council, National District Attorneys Association, National Gang Center, National Sheriff’s Association, Regional Information Sharing Systems and the Institute for Intergovernmental Research.

Attendees at the conference include agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Michigan Department of Corrections, Michigan State Police, United States Attorney’s Office and additional law enforcement and Sheriff Departments from across the State of Michigan. Also in attendance are faith based and community based foundations from throughout Michigan.