Congressman Fattah Announces Justice Grants to Temple University, Philadelphia Youth Violence Prevention Collaborative
WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congressman Chaka Fattah (PA-02), the lead Democrat on the House Subcommittee responsible for Department of Justice (DOJ) funding, has announced that the agency has awarded grants to Temple University and the City of Philadelphia's Youth Violence Prevention Collaborative (PYVPC) for two separate initiatives aimed at reducing violence in the community.
Temple University was awarded $425,512 for a study that will test the impact of different police strategies on violence and property crime. The project—a collaboration between Temple academics and the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD)—will boost the data available on the success of predictive policing, an emerging tactic in law enforcement. By randomly assigning 20 PPD districts one of four experimental conditions, the study will attempt to answer whether different police responses to crime predictions estimated by a predictive policing software program can effectively reduce crime.
"Temple University and the Philadelphia Police Department have worked together for years to increase public safety in our community and this new grant award will allow them to continue their concerted efforts in determining whether new technology can effectively predict and ultimately reduce crime," Congressman Fattah said. "Not only does this research study have the potential to impact Philadelphia's policing strategy, it will inform police tactics at leading policing organizations and police communities across the country."
The $222,200 grant for PYVPC from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention will continue Philadelphia's work as one of 10 cities around the country participating in The National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention. The award will support the continuation of their strategic plan and provide technical assistance for the School District of Philadelphia and other community partners.
The School District will use the funds to support the implementation of Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports (PBIS) in two high need Philadelphia schools. After the supports are successfully implemented, the District expects a twenty to sixty percent reduction in office discipline referrals and out-of-school suspensions, in addition to academic gains, decreased teacher and administrator involvement in discipline, and an increase in the amount of time students spend in the classroom.
"The funds awarded to the Philadelphia Youth Violence Prevention Collaborative will allow them to continue their work reducing violence in our public schools and equipping students, parents, teachers, and administrators with the resources and training to best ensure our classrooms are safe and ensure the best possible environment for learning and academic success," Congressman Fattah said. "The Philadelphia Youth Violence Prevention Collaborative has made great inroads in their holistic approach to reducing youth violence in our city. This additional DOJ funding will further support the implementation of their strategic plan that is working collectively with local agencies and partner organizations across the city to make our community a safe place for all, especially our young people."
In his role as Ranking Member on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) and Related Agencies, Fattah has pushed to increase funding for Department of Justice programs, and in the FY15 House CJS bill was successful in securing an additional $382.8 million in funding over FY14 levels.
For additional information on the DOJ grant awards, please visit: http://ojp.gov/funding/funding.htm.
SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah
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