U.S. Attorney for Colorado Jason R. Dunn recognized Colorado’s Regional Anti Violence Enforcement Network last week for supporting the U.S. Department of Justice’s initiative to reduce rates of violent crime.

“RAVEN is a model program,” said Dunn. “It is part of the gold standard in law enforcement relationships that is the hallmark of Colorado law enforcement. This is making a real difference to our communities.”

The RAVEN task force consists of 13 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies that were involved in the prosecution of 269 offenders in the last two years. The Colorado organizations involved include the Aurora, Denver and Lakewood police departments; the Arapahoe, Douglas and Jefferson county sheriff’s offices; and the Denver District Attorney’s Office.

RAVEN supports the Justice Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, which uses data-based strategies to focus on violent offenders and locations in each U.S. attorney district. The department reports that between 2000 and 2006, there was as much as a 20% reduction in violent crime in areas where the initiative operated.

This year, the Colorado Department of Public Safety received more than $278,000 through Project Safe Neighborhoods, based on the state’s violent crime rate and population. The funding allows task forces to go after transnational or criminal organizations not based within their U.S. attorney district.