Limtiaco: DOJ initiatives seek to create safer communities

 In line with its priorities and mission, the Department of Justice has launched several initiatives that aim to improve communities, according to U.S. Attorney for Guam and CNMI Alicia Limtiaco.

Speaking at the Rotary Club of Saipan meeting at the Hyatt Regency Saipan on Tuesday, Limtiaco said that one of these initiatives is the Diverse Communities Outreach Initiative, created in response to concerns and complaints about profiling, discrimination, and unfair treatment following the 9/11 events.

“The initiative calls in all of our faith-based community leadership as well as our consulates to engage in a round-table discussion with us to do a law enforcement relationship with these various organizations as well as to dialogue some of the issues,” she said.

The Project Safe Neighborhoods is another initiative, created to address youth violence, gang violence, gun violence, bullying and cyberbullying, sexting, child sexual exploitation and technology related crimes.

Since 2001, the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative has committed about $2 billion to its overall mission for projects such as distribution of gun lock safety kits, development and promotion of community outreach, and supporting gun and gang violence reduction strategies, Limtiaco said.

The Gang Resistance and Education Training or GREAT Program, on the other hand, addresses delinquency, youth violence, and gang membership. It is an officer-instructed, school-based curriculum that teaches youth life-skills competencies, violence-prevention and conflict-resolution techniques, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.

The program has graduated 1,946 children since its inception in October 2008, with another 528 children that graduated from June 2010 up to the present.

“We’ve been very, very successful with this particular initiative. It is one that is currently happening in Guam. We’re hopeful to bring it here to the NMI but again, it involves community effort and our school system actively involved,” she said.

Project Safe Childhood is another initiative launched in 2006 that aims to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. It is implemented through partnerships between federal law enforcers and advocacy organizations.

The Red Ribbon Campaign, meanwhile, aims to reduce demand for drugs through prevention and education programs while the Law Enforcement Officer Safety Initiative involves federal and local law enforcers coming together to work on deconfliction issues as a result in the rise of law enforcement fatalities in the country in the last few years.

Limtiaco said that several trainings and outreach activities have already been conducted in Guam and the CNMI in support of these initiatives.

Unique

Limtiaco said that her position is the only one across the nation that supervises two judicial districts.

“There are actually 94 U.S. Attorneys but we have just one position that oversees two districts,” Limtiaco said.

Each U.S. Attorney is appointed by, and serve at the discretion of, the U.S. President, with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate.