Established in February 1993 by the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office , the Mayor's Office of the City of Boston and the Boston Police Department , the SNI model works to stem violence and improve the quality of life in neighborhoods throughout the Commonwealth. The SNI model has been successfully established in several Massachusetts communities, including Dorchester, Roxbury, Chelsea and Brockton. The SNI provides community residents the opporunity to work directly with law enforcement and government officials to identify and address neighborhood issues. Community residents know best what the problems are in the neighborhood and how these problems can be solved. Community residents can benefit from using the resources of other SNI members, such as the local police department or the state attorney general's Local police.
Police officers can deal with problems ranging from gang violence to family disputes.
Police officers can work more effectively in collaboration with local residents. Prosecutors from the offices of the district attorney and the attorney general also work closely with the SNI community. Through exclusive assignment to the targeted area, these prosecutors are better able to tailor their efforts to fit neighborhood priorities and to benefit from the support of local residents. City goverment offices, like the mayor's office, can provide more effective city service delivery through close communication with local residents. Direct contact also allows city government greater opportunities to inform residents about municipal resources.