[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 99 (Monday, May 24, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28026-28027]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-13025]
[[Page 28026]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
[Notice No. 875]
The Gang Resistance and Education Training Program: Availability
of Financial Assistance, Criteria and Application Procedures
AGENCY: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Department of
the Treasury.
ACTION: Notice of availability of funds for financial assistance to
State and local law enforcement agencies providing or desiring to
provide the Gang Resistance Education and Training Program, intended
funding priorities, and application procedures.
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SUMMARY: Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) intends to enter into cooperative
agreements with State and local law enforcement agencies to assist them
in providing the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.)
Program. This notice also sets forth the intended funding priorities
and the criteria and application procedures that ATF will use to select
and award State and local law enforcement agencies Federal funds to
provide the G.R.E.A.T. Program.
DATES: Applications must be received on or before July 9, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Send applications to G.R.E.A.T. Branch; Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms; P.O. Box 50418; Washington, DC 20091-0418; ATTN:
Notice No. 875.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Scott, G.R.E.A.T. Branch, Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, P.O. Box 50418, Washington, DC 20091-
0418 (1-800-726-7070); or by sending electronic mail (E-mail) to:
Great@atfhq.atf.treas.gov, or visit the G.R.E.A.T. website at
www.atf.treas.gov/great/great.htm.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
G.R.E.A.T. is a gang prevention program designed to educate the
youth about the dangers associated with joining street gangs and
participating in violent crime. It functions as a cooperative program
that utilizes the skills of ATF, Federal, State and local law
enforcement personnel, as well as individuals from the community and
civic groups. The G.R.E.A.T. Program trains police officers to provide
instruction to grade and middle school aged children in gang prevention
and anti-violence techniques. Training may be provided to any Federal,
State, or local law enforcement agency, to the extent allocated funds
allow. G.R.E.A.T. consists of three major phases:
Phase I School-Based Education
Phase II Summer Education/Intervention
Phase III Parent Involvement
Although the primary focus of the G.R.E.A.T. Program is Phase I,
applicants who are selected for financial assistance will be required
to develop programs tailored to their respective communities for Phases
II and III.
Application Procedures
Application for financial assistance must be made on ATF Form
6410.1 (Gang Resistance Education and Training Funding Application).
Application forms may be obtained by contacting James Scott, G.R.E.A.T.
Branch, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, P.O. Box 50418,
Washington, DC 20091-0418 (1-800-726-7070). E-mail address:
Great@atfhq.atf.treas.gov or visit the G.R.E.A.T. website at
www.atf.treas.gov/great/great.htm.
Funding Categories and Funding Distributions
In order to provide funding to a range of community sizes and
locations, the applicants will be divided into five categories based on
population. These categories will consist of populations: (A) 1,000,000
and over; (B) 500,000-999,999; (C) 100,000-499,999; (D) 25,000-99,999;
(E) 24,999 or less. Each applicant will be required to report its
population figures by using the Bureau of Census State Population
Report for its entire service area. The population figures may be
obtained from the Census Bureau's website at: www.census.gov/
population/www/estimates or contacting the Census Bureau at 301-457-
2422. After the applications are evaluated, each applicant will be
ranked against the other applicants in its category. The funds will
then be awarded in descending order until the funding available in each
category is exhausted.
Criteria and Points
Each application will be evaluated and scored on the basis of the
following criteria: (1) Juvenile crime statistics--50 points; (2)
Percentage of middle school students proposed to be taught and have
been taught--20 points; (3) Percentage of elementary school students
proposed to be taught--5 points; (4) Agency commitment--15 points; (5)
Other--10 points.
Criterion 1 (Juvenile Crime Statistics)
There are two application categories for Criterion 1, 1:A and 1:B.
The categories distinguish between applicants who have participated in
the G.R.E.A.T. Program or any other school-based prevention program
since 1992 (such as D.A.R.E.) and those who have not. Applicants who
have not participated in the G.R.E.A.T. Program or any other school-
based prevention program must apply using Criterion 1:A. Applicants who
have completed a year or more of the G.R.E.A.T. Program or any other
school-based prevention program, have a choice of applying under
Criterion 1:A or 1:B. The maximum value for Criterion 1 will be 50
points.
1:A. Criterion 1:A is designed to measure the magnitude of an
applicant's youth crime problem. This criterion will utilize the
Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) for the United States that are published
annually by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The total
juvenile crime figures that will be used are the parts I and II
offenses reported in the most recent UCR. The parts I and II offenses
that are reported in the UCR are enumerated and defined in Appendix II
of the UCR. In the event that an applicant does not provide annual data
to the FBI for purposes of the UCR, the applicant should contact the
G.R.E.A.T. Branch to determine how it can best submit information to
measure its youth crime statistics. ATF will obtain the juvenile crime
figures directly from the FBI. An applicant must indicate which service
area (i.e., city, county, etc.) ATF should use to obtain their juvenile
crime figures. An applicant will receive a score based on its total
juvenile crime figures, as reported by the most recent UCR. Scores will
be calculated by dividing the applicant's reported population into the
total juvenile crime figures reported in the most recent UCR.
1:B. Criterion 1:B is designed to measure a change in an
applicant's youth crime problem since using G.R.E.A.T. or other school-
based prevention programs. This criterion will also utilize the UCR, as
outlined in criterion 1:A. An applicant must indicate which service
area (i.e., city, county, etc.) ATF should use to obtain their juvenile
crime figures. An applicant will receive a score based on a comparison
of its total juvenile crime figures, as reported by the UCR that
immediately preceded the applicant's initial participation in the
G.R.E.A.T. Program or other school-based prevention program since 1992
to the most recent UCR. Scores will be
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calculated by the percentage of decrease in the juvenile crime figures
revealed by the most recent UCR.
Criterion 2
This criterion will measure middle school participation and
consists of two sections, Section A and Section B.
Section A. An applicant will receive points based on the percentage
of middle school students proposed to be taught G.R.E.A.T. compared to
the total population of middle school students in the jurisdiction. The
maximum value for this criterion will be 10 points.
Section B. An applicant will receive points based on the percentage
of middle school students that were taught G.R.E.A.T. in the last
school year compared to last year's total population of middle school
students. The maximum value for this criterion will be 10 points.
Criterion 3
This criterion will measure elementary school participation. An
applicant will receive points based on the percentage of elementary
school students proposed to be taught G.R.E.A.T. compared to the total
population of elementary school students in the jurisdiction. The
maximum value for this criterion will be 5 points (the point value is
limited to 5 points because the current focus of the G.R.E.A.T. Program
is for middle school-aged children).
Criterion 4
This criterion will measure the applicant's commitment to the
G.R.E.A.T. Program and consists of two sections, Section A and Section
B.
Section A. This section will compare the total officer staff-hours
currently spent teaching the G.R.E.A.T. Program (to include classroom
time, preparation, parent programs, and the summer component) in
relation to the applicant's total full-time, officer staff. The total
value for this section shall be 10 points.
Section B. This section will be weighed according to the
applicant's plans to create or expand its current program. An applicant
will estimate the total additional staff-hours that it plans to spend
on the program in the next fiscal year through training additional
officers, devoting additional staff-hours using existing G.R.E.A.T.
officers, or both. The total planned increase in staff-hours will be
scored to a maximum of 5 points.
Criterion 5
This criterion will be used to measure other relevant factors. For
this criterion, a maximum of 10 points will be awarded for meeting one
or more of the following: (1) The applicant has developed and
demonstrated a model for a parent program, summer program, after-school
program, or community partnership; (2) The applicant has participated
in G.R.E.A.T. sponsored workshops or seminars, or supplied National
Training Team members for G.R.E.A.T. officer training; (3) The
applicant has previously expressed and documented an interest in
funding support; or (4) The applicant can demonstrate a geographic
significance for the expansion of the G.R.E.A.T. Program in its area.
Tiebreaker
Because all available funds are to be distributed in descending
order until exhausted, the potential exists for a value point tie for
communities competing for the last remaining funds. In order to
distribute funds fairly, tied agencies will be ranked according to
their total scores from Criterion I.
Paperwork Reduction Act
The collection of information contained in this notice has been
approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in accordance
with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3507(d)) under control
number 1512-0548.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required
to respond to, a collection of information unless the collection of
information displays a valid OMB control number.
Authority: This notice is issued pursuant to Office of
Management and Budget Circular No. A-102 (Grants and Cooperative
Agreements with State and Local Governments).
Approved: May 18, 1999.
John W. Magaw,
Director.
[FR Doc. 99-13025 Filed 5-21-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-31-P
