Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today re-introduced the Safer Streets Act, which would create a new grant program to support local communities with high rates of violent crime, including the hiring of additional law enforcement officers and providing resources to community-based violence prevention programs.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
“The Safer Streets Act is intended to provide additional funding to address violent crime in places where the rate is significantly above the national average – places like Memphis.
“With grants from this additional funding, local jurisdictions with crime rates four times the national average would be eligible for half of the funds; those with three times the national rate would be eligible for 20 percent of the funds and those with twice that national rate would be eligible for the 10 percent of funds.
“The bill dedicates the remaining funding for emergency grants to local jurisdictions that have spikes of violent crime.”
The grants would be administered by the U.S. Department of Justice. Grants to local jurisdictions could be used for hiring additional law enforcement officers, investing in surveillance equipment, or crime and community violence prevention programs.
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