[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: G[email protected], 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: 
G[email protected] 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