ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Winnebago County is the recipient of a federal grant which will be used for intelligence-led prosecution of crimes.

Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley announced the Project Safe Neighborhood grant was awarded to the County on Wednesday, saying one benefit of the intelligence-led approach to prosecutions will be more efficiency in the courtroom and will target the most violent criminals.

“Having an attorney who isn’t necessarily tied to one courtroom, who’s allowed to be proactive and uses the intelligence provided by law enforcement to target the individuals who are causing most of the problems in our community,” he said.

Hanley said two major prosecutors will track the progress of their cases, all the way to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The Project Safe Neighborhood grant is a part of the Justice Department’s program aimed at reducing violent crime.