[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 99 (Monday, May 24, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28026-28027]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-13025]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
[Notice No. 875]


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.

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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 July 9, 1999.

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. 875.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Scott, G.R.E.A.T. Branch, Bureau 
of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, P.O. 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 must be made on ATF Form 
6410.1 (Gang Resistance Education and Training Funding Application). 
Application forms may be obtained by contacting James Scott, G.R.E.A.T. 
Branch, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, P.O. 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 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 
since 1992 (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 Investigation (FBI). The total 
juvenile crime figures that will be used are the parts I and II 
offenses reported in the most recent UCR. The parts 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 since 1992 
to the most recent UCR. Scores will be

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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 participated 
in G.R.E.A.T. sponsored workshops or seminars, or supplied National 
Training Team members for G.R.E.A.T. officer training; (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 has been 
approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in accordance 
with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3507(d)) under control 
number 1512-0548.
    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: 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: May 18, 1999.
John W. Magaw,
Director.
[FR Doc. 99-13025 Filed 5-21-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-31-P