[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 150 (Wednesday, August 5, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41891-41892]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20864]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
[Notice No. 863]
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 September 4, 1998.
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. 863.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas L. Schneider or Jim Scott,
G.R.E.A.T. Branch, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, PO 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 shall be made on ATF Form
6410.1 (Gang Resistance Education and Training Funding Application)
(form under review at the Office of Management and Budget). Application
forms may be obtained by contacting Thomas L. Schneider or Jim Scott,
G.R.E.A.T. Branch, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, PO 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
[[Page 41892]]
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 (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 Investigations (FBI). The total
juvenile crime figures that will be used are the Part I and II offenses
reported in the most recent UCR. The Part 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 to the most
recent UCR. Scores will be 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
demonstrated support of the National G.R.E.A.T. Program, National
Training Team, seminars, or workshops; (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 is under
review at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in accordance with
the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3507).
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 and Issuance
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: July 31, 1998.
John W. Magaw,
Director.
[FR Doc. 98-20864 Filed 8-4-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-31-P
