Collins’ amendment to fund safe neighborhoods program included in larger appropriations bill

An amendment offered by U.S. Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) to reauthorize the Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant Program successfully made it into a larger appropriations bill this week.

“Just last year, the House authorized $50 million to support Project Safe Neighborhoods by a vote of 394 to 13. Not a single Democrat voted against this measure then,” said Rep. Collins. “I’m baffled by Democrats’ attempts only one year later to prevent this initiative from receiving even one dollar of funding, but I’m glad to see this amendment ultimately adopted.”

The U.S. House of Representatives is working on the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2020, H.R. 3055, which now includes the lawmaker’s amendment to federally fund the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, which is a U.S. Department of Justice anti-crime initiative.

“Americans all want the same thing — safer communities,” Rep. Collins said. “Project Safe Neighborhoods’ tailor-made approach to reducing violent crime empowers our communities to reduce the specific crimes they face.”

Project Safe Neighborhoods builds partnerships between communities and law enforcement, which collaborate on public safety approaches that are unique to each community, according to a summary from Rep. Collins’ office.

The program also identifies and targets the most violent offenders for enforcement action and works to prevent violence for the long term, the summary says.