A long-running federal anti-violence program will be expanding to downtown Chicago and mass transit for the first time this summer, enhancing the investigation and prosecution of gun crimes, drug trafficking, robberies and carjackings at a time when city violence typically spikes.

The creation of a new downtown zone for the program, Project Safe Neighborhoods, is the first public initiative announced by U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros, who took office two months ago and has said that curbing violence is at the top of his to-do list.

Since its inception in the early 2000s, Project Safe Neighborhoods has been deployed in neighborhoods on the West and South sides of the city historically plagued by gangs, poverty and violence. Currently, there are seven “zones” where PSN resources are used, each overseen by a coordinator in the U.S. attorney’s office.

“The expansion announced today will implement the program in parts of three police districts in downtown financial zones that represent the economic engines of the city, as well as on the CTA trains that bring
residents and visitors to those areas from every neighborhood of Chicago and from the city’s two
international airports,” the U.S. attorney’s office said in a statement.

It marked the first time anywhere in the country that Project Safe Neighborhoods will be deployed on mass transit, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

Originally launched in 2001, Project Safe Neighborhoods is a federally funded, nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.

Participating agencies include Chicago police, the FBI, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Cook County sheriff’s office.

The federal grants will be used to hire new law enforcement personnel, pay overtime to officers patrolling trains and downtown locations, obtain equipment and training and provide anti-violence messaging, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

“For violent offenders arrested downtown or aboard CTA trains, criminal prosecutors will bring appropriate charges to achieve maximum deterrence and will seek pretrial detention and substantial prison sentences for
defendants who pose a danger to the community,” the statement said.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com