Mesa Presented with Plaque for Project Safe Neighborhoods

US Attorney presents plaque to Mesa for Project Safe Neighborhoods

Mesa, AZ – In a media event hosted by Mesa Mayor Scott Smith, the US Attorney for the District of Arizona, Diane J. Humetewa presented the Mesa Attorney’s Office – Prosecutor Division and the Mesa Police Department with special awards honoring Mesa’s participation in Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods targets gang members and firearms recovery.

“The City of Mesa is committed to keeping our residents safe. By targeting violent crimes committed by gang members, we can achieve the greatest impact on public safety,” Mayor Scott Smith said. “I want to thank Ms. Humetewa and the Department of Justice for their commitment to this effort and their assistance with these grants.”

Mesa was selected to receive federal grant funds through the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission.  These grant funds reimbursed the City of Mesa for personnel expenses for Assistant City Prosecutor Sabrina De Costa who is on special assignment in the United States Attorney’s Office.

The grant allows Mesa to form a partnership between the Violent Crime Impact Team (VCIT) and the United States Attorney’s Office who prosecutes those arrested through the VCIT program.

In order to tackle violent crime head-on, the Mesa Police Department was selected by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) to implement the VCIT. Over the past year, this team arrested more than 2,000 gang members, drug dealers and other felons, and recovered 4,900 firearms.

The Assistant City Prosecutor communicates exclusively with ATF agents of VCIT with regard to new cases and investigations. This team of prosecution and law enforcement work closely together to arrest and prosecute gang members and to seize firearms.  Prosecutor involvement at the start of a new investigation is a major reason for the success of this program and the prosecutions that follow.

Since the inception of this collaboration with the United States Attorney’s Office, the Mesa Police Department, and the Mesa City Prosecutor’s Office, Mesa Assistant City Prosecutor Sabrina De Costa has successfully collaborated on 38 new cases involving gang-related offenses, firearm-related offenses and other violent crimes.

About Mesa, Arizona
The City of Mesa’s estimated population is over 460,000 within an incorporated area of approximately 133 square miles. Total land area encompasses 182 square miles. The City ranks as the 38th most populous city in the United States, larger than the cities of Kansas City, Miami, St. Louis and Pittsburgh. Mesa is a favorite destination to thousands of visitors with more than 300 sun-filled days a year and average temperature of 72.6 degrees. The area’s economy is driven by four major industries healthcare, education, aerospace, and tourism. Mesa is home to two award-winning airports, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and Falcon Field Airport. For more information about the City of Mesa go to mesaaz.gov.

Source: City of Mesa

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