NCJ Number
177272
Date Published
1999
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Federal prosecutors in New York are developing a strategic role instead of a responsive role in relation to crime prevention and crime control; this effort parallels the efforts of local prosecutors to broaden their role by working with other public agencies and community groups on specific local issues.
Abstract
Federal participation in criminal prosecutions is not a new phenomenon, despite constitutional concerns expressed about Federal activity in this area. The shortcomings of the traditional case-processing model of prosecutorial behavior have been exposed as Federal prosecutors have become more deeply involved in prosecutions of violent crime. These crimes may have connections with other offenders and crimes; through a broader prosecution, the prosecutor can make an impact on crime within a neighborhood. Federal prosecutors can foster methodical and forensic connection-making among the currently balkanized efforts of Federal law enforcement agencies. The prosecutor is also in one of the best positions to coordinate investigative information, develop a comprehensive strategy, and negotiate agency divisions. Prosecutors in the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York have begun experimenting with a way of organizing existing information so that it yields previously hidden connections and aids strategic planning. The use of racketeering laws, gun trafficking laws, and forfeiture laws are the most powerful tools that Federal prosecutors can use. Federal prosecutors can use their new roles and these tools to improve neighborhoods and police-community relations and produce lower crime rates over the long term.