Violence Prevention

A new bulletin prepared by NLC’s Institute for Youth, Education and Families for the California Cities Gang Prevention Network highlights partnerships between cities and faith communities to reduce gang and youth violence.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter joined a group of nearly 200 municipal leaders and youth from cities across the country at the Cities United Summit to discuss concrete strategies that communities can use to reduce violence-related deaths among black males.

The Institute of Medicine and Kaiser Permanente sponsored a recent 2-day workshop that explored steps to accelerate violence prevention in low- and middle-income communities through interactive communication technologies.

Researchers from the University of California, Riverside recently published two studies linking violent crime with the availability of alcohol. Significantly higher rates of violence were found in neighborhoods with higher densities of liquor stores and greater access to single-serve alcohol containers.

California Attorney General Kamala Harris addressed mayors, police chiefs and other California city leaders during a recent meeting of the California Cities Gang Prevention Network in Oakland. The Attorney General reaffirmed the state’s commitment to preventing youth gang violence in light of the state’s plan to devolve many public safety responsibilities to local governments.

Nine cities have been selected to participate in the Connecting Cops & Kids training program sponsored by the Fred Rogers Company with support from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.  This video-based professional development training for police and social service agency partners is designed to increase officers' effectiveness when interacting with children and teens.  The YEF Institute assisted the Fred Rogers Company in soliciting applications for this training from cities across the country.

Representatives of five cities that are part of the California Cities Gang Prevention Network gathered with research and evaluation partners in May 2011 to develop “recommendations from the field” for evaluating comprehensive gang prevention and reduction initiatives.

Mayors and other municipal leaders from six cities selected to participate in a National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention - Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, Salinas (Calif.) and San José - presented comprehensive local plans to reduce youth violence in their communities at a summit in Washington, D.C., in April 2011 hosted by the U.S. Department of Justice and other federal agencies.  The forum is inspired in part by the California Cities Gang Prevention Network, a 13-city initiative launched in 2007 by the YEF Institute and National Council on Crime and Delinquency.  

The White House, U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Education have created a new National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, bringing together local leaders from six cities to explore effective strategies for curbing youth and gang violence.  Through this pilot initiative, multiple federal agencies will work with city leaders in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, Salinas, Calif., and San José, Calif., to support the implementation of comprehensive, citywide youth violence prevention plans.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder discussed the importance of partnerships to reduce gang violence with more than 100 California mayors, police chiefs and other community leaders at a meeting of the California Cities Gang Prevention Network held in Sacramento.
California Cities Gang Prevention Network

This report synthesizes the key findings on the utility of evaluation for California Cities Gang Prevention Network sites and provides an overview of the fundamental principles to consider when developing an evaluation of a comprehensive gang and youth violence prevention initiative. 

Within a comprehensive violence prevention strategy, pursuing and sustaining preventive efforts to minimize future violence well in advance typically poses the greatest challenge for municipal leaders.  This action guide, published as part of the California Cities Gang Prevention Network initiative, highlights strategies, action steps and existing city approaches to prevention.

This action guide, published as part of the California Cities Gang Prevention Network initiative, highlights strategies and action steps for evaluating comprehensive gang violence prevention efforts.

The risk of recidivism is extremely high for the growing numbers of formerly incarcerated people are released from prison, jail, or other correctional facilities.  This action guide, published as part of the California Cities Gang Prevention Network initiative, highlights strategies and action steps for delivering effective reentry services, particularly to gang-affiliated individuals

This toolkit draws upon lessons learned over three years from the California Cities Gang Prevention Network, a 13-city network sponsored in collaboration with the National Council on Crime and Delinquency to identify strategies for reducing gang violence and victimization.  
Full toolkit (PDF) | Marshalling funding chapter (PDF) | Strategic partnerships chapter (PDF) | Targeted approaches chapter (PDF) | California Cities Gang Prevention Network 

The YEF Institute's first-ever report on The State of City Leadership for Children and Families identifies the nation's most cutting-edge city strategies to help children and families thrive.  A chapter on youth violence prevention highlights a broad range of innovations and trends in municipal leadership. 
Full report (PDF) | Youth violence prevention chapter (PDF)  

This report, developed through a project funded by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and conducted in partnership with the International Association of Chiefs of Police, highlights mayor-law enforcement partnerships to keep young people safe in 17 cities and towns.

More violence prevention tools and resources

Formed in 2002, the Municipal Network on Disconnected Youth (MNDY) is a nationwide peer learning community of municipal leaders who are concerned about young people ages 16-24 who are out of work, out of school, and lack strong connections to the community and caring adults.  The network was launched in recognition of the fact that disconnected youth who are unemployed, high school dropouts, homeless, teen parents, or involved in the justice system or child welfare systems post significant challenges to cities and towns across the country.  
Subscribe to the network 

Formed in 2007, the California Cities Gang Prevention Network, the first of its kind in the nation, focuses on successful anti-gang policies and practices that interweave prevention, intervention, enforcement and a community’s “moral voice” as an alternative to prison-only solutions.  NLC and the Oakland-based National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) sponsor the network of 13 major cities.  This network is only open to members of the 13 project city teams.  For more information, visit www.ccgpn.org.

In 2007, NLC and the Oakland-based National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) initiated a network of 13 major cities in California to combat gang violence and victimization.  The California Cities Gang Prevention Network, the first of its kind in the nation, focuses on successful policies and practices that interweave prevention, intervention, enforcement and a community's "moral voice" as an alternative to prison-only solutions.

NLC and NCCD sponsor the network with support from the California Wellness Foundation, the California Endowment, and launched the network with additional, initial support from the Evelyn and Walter Haass, Jr., Fund, the East Bay Community Foundation, and the Richmond Children's Foundation.  Participating cities include Fresno, Los Angeles (San Fernando Valley), Oakland, Oxnard, Richmond, Sacramento, Salinas, San Bernardino, San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Santa Rosa, and Stockton. For more information, visit www.ccgpn.org.

The YEF Institute and the Fred Rogers Company have partnered to connect cities with a no-cost training program that enhances community policing efforts and public safety by improving police interactions with children and teens. The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) is supporting a series of local training sessions organized by the Fred Rogers Company in communities across the nation.