FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DECEMBER 16, 2024
Pueblo, Colorado Announced by Justice Department as One of Five New National Public Safety Partnership Sites to Help Build Safer Communities
PUEBLO, CO— The Justice Department recently announced the addition of Pueblo, CO as one of five new sites to the National Public Safety Partnership, a Department-wide initiative designed to improve safety and reduce violence in areas experiencing elevated crime rates. Administered by the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance, PSP provides sites with coordinated training, technical assistance and a wide range of targeted violence reduction resources from the Department’s programmatic and law enforcement components.
“This is just another example of how we are trying different strategies, combined with good old fashioned police work, to make a difference,” explained Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller. “I am excited as we develop and share more about this incredible opportunity in the coming months.” Pueblo joins DeKalb County, Georgia; Seattle, Washington; Springfield, Massachusetts; and Tampa, Florida. Through the PSP program, DOJ collaborates with jurisdictions of different sizes and diverse needs to support customized and data-driven strategies tailored to address each site’s most pressing public safety challenges. The program focuses on eight core areas: community engagement, constitutional policing, crime analysis, criminal justice collaboration, federal partnerships, gun violence, investigations, and technology.
“Reducing violence and focusing on public safety is a top priority for the City of Pueblo, so I am grateful our community is one of five chosen to participate in the PSP program with the Department of Justice,” said Mayor of Pueblo Heather Graham. “This is a unique opportunity to see how other cities focus on addressing similar issues and to have support from the DOJ. We’ll be able to work collaboratively with in our own Pueblo Police Department and alongside the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, and other community partners to address violent crime in Pueblo.”
A total of 67 cities have participated in PSP to date. The primary participating DOJ components include the Office of Justice Programs; the Office on Violence Against Women; the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Pueblo Police Department is engaging several partners in its PSP work including the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, FBI, and US Attorney’s Office.
“I look forward to our continued partnership with the Pueblo Police Department and the Tenth Judicial District Attorney’s Office to further facilitate ways we can collaborate to increase public safety and reduce the fear of crime,” shared Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero. “This is a great community, but often overshadowed by the fear of crime. This grant is a way to utilize federal resources to ensure we, as law enforcement, are effective in improving the public safety in Pueblo County.”
“The National Public Safety Partnership program is yet another example of the outstanding working relationship that exists among Pueblo County law enforcement agencies. The Pueblo law enforcement community has been an outstanding example of inter-agency communication and cooperation to the rest of the State,” stated Tenth Judicial District Attorney Jeff Chostner. “Being the recipient of this program will only enhance that partnership with agencies and offices outside of Pueblo County, and with the goal of reducing crime in our community. This is an exciting initiative, and one I am proud to be a part of.”
“The selection of Pueblo to participate in the National Public Safety Partnership program is another recognition of the work Chief Noeller and his team are doing to combat and prevent violent crime in Pueblo,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “The FBI has and will continue to work with our partners in Pueblo to identify and remove the drivers of violence in the community.”
“We are proud to strengthen our longstanding work with the Pueblo Police Department through the Public Safety Partnership program,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “This is an important next step as we work together to make the Pueblo community safer.”
This year, the Justice Department marked the 10th Anniversary of the National Public Safety Partnership, a milestone in the program’s ongoing commitment to support local law enforcement agencies, community organizations and other partners in addressing public safety challenges. BJA hosted the National Public Safety Partnership 10th Anniversary Summit on December 9-11, 2024, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where current PSP sites and alumni convened to explore new trends and issues facing their communities and discuss best practices and innovative solutions to enhance public safety and drive down violent crime.
The PSP Program began as a pilot in 2014 and was formally adopted by the Justice Department as an intensive training and technical assistance protocol in 2017. To be considered for selection, a site must apply and have sustained levels of violence that far exceed the national average and demonstrate a commitment to reducing crime and enhancing community engagement.
For more information about the National Public Safety Partnership and its impact on communities, visit nationalpublicsafetypartnership.org.
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About the Office of Justice Programs
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime; advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices – the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking – can be found at ojp.gov.