5.2: Idea Sharing

Making communities safer by sharing effective ideas.

Other Information:

Successful Grant Applications. Through its grant‐making offices, the Department of Justice provides billions of dollars every year to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies, as well as other public and private service providers, to make their communities safer. The programs that DOJ funds are chosen for a variety of reasons, but chief among them are that the programs have been demonstrated to be effective or they employ new ideas with outstanding potential. Those ideas are worth sharing. Upon making awards, the Department’s grant‐making offices will, consistent with applicable law, publish the applications of select successful applicants, as well as the identities of all grant recipients. Other governmental and non‐governmental bodies that work in the field will benefit from seeing the kinds of ideas that are succeeding. Reaching More Communities. The Department’s grant‐making offices fund some of the most promising and important work being done by state, local and tribal governments and by private service providers and others. Many of these efforts serve the public generally, but many are targeted at particular constituencies from victims of crime to juvenile offenders. Many of these constituencies communicate in ways that leave the Department’s traditional models behind. The Department must explore new ways of reaching its stakeholders and those it aims to serve. Specifically, the grant‐making offices should explore the use of new media to communicate more effectively with particular communities. The Department should take advantage of these new media where appropriate. Expanding Our Partners. The Department is not simply seeking to collaborate with law enforcement and prosecutors. Our responsibility is to do justice, and that requires a robust collaboration with the courts and the defense bar. The Attorney General recently hosted a conference focusing on indigent defense, and DOJ intends to make access to justice a focus in the coming years. Recently, the Department named distinguished Professor Laurence Tribe as the Senior Counselor on Access to Justice. Through this new initiative DOJ will work collaboratively with courts, the defense bar and others in the criminal justice system to improve the quality of justice for all. Spreading the Message. It takes more than effective law enforcement to keep communities safe. Where crime has become pervasive or where the public lacks information, concerned and active citizens can still, with proper support, turn the tide. Whereas much of the Department’s work is focused on the data‐driven, evidence‐based analysis of the practices that improve public safety, there are also areas in which increased public consciousness would help reduce crime. For example, the Office on Violence against Women recently funded an online initiative that enlisted teens to think about acceptable online behavior. The initiative, through a website at www.ThatsNotCool.com, asks teens, “Where Do You Draw Your Digital Line?” and provides interactive, web‐based tools and resources to prevent teen dating violence, raise awareness about the signs of abuse and educate teens about “digital gray areas.” The Web site now offers online tools, including campaign materials that can be downloaded (including web videos, call‐out cards, posters, TV and print PSAs), information from the focus group research, and tips on social media outreach – all available to help the general public to prevent teen dating violence. Through grant programs like these, the Department has the capacity to enlist interested citizens in their shared mission. During FY 2010, the Department will initiate – either directly or through a grant to an administrator – a competition with prizes that invites the public to develop a public safety campaign on an appropriate issue. Through the development of these public safety messages, which may rely on traditional or new media, the Department will invite Americans to become more than passive recipients of public safety. They will be actively engaged in making their communities safer.

Stakeholder(s):

• Communities


• Professor Laurence Tribe: Senior Counselor on Access to Justice

Indicator(s):

Indicator:1

Content