| The Coroner's
Report INFORMATION AND RESOURCES ON GANG INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION By Steve Nawojczyk |
Issue #4 Subscribe to Steve's free email newsletter. |
| A.C.T.I.O.N. PLAN
Every place I go, people always want to know how a community can effectively deal with juvenile violence and gangs. With thanks to Utah Attorney General Jan Graham (you can link to her website from the Steve's Picks section) for the concept of the ACTION PLAN and with some commentary of my own, here is how I answer them... |
| A | After School Programs are an absolute necessity to combat violence and other crimes by juveniles. The Justice Department recently released statistics that clearly show most juvenile crime occurs during the "latchkey hours" after school and before many parents arrive home. Those communities with effective after school programs, whether they be administered by private agencies, houses of worship, YMCAs, Boys/Girls Clubs or whatever, are showing dramatic decreases in their juvenile crime rates. |
| C | Community Oriented Policing Programs. All across the nation, police departments are recognizing the need for new ideas and strategies to combat the rising crime rates. Many departments recognized early on the need to forge better relationships with the places they protect. Part of reaching out with new concepts is the careful blending of these techniques with good old zero tolerant, firm and fair, law enforcement. Communities must be and FEEL safe. Police should actively pursue the small percentage of "hard core" delinquents and they should be dealt with in a fashion by the court system that assures they will learn their lessons. This careful blending of enforcement and suppression police tactics with the new "officer friendly" approach makes for a great department. |
| T | Teams for Parents. Support by and for parents who are in one way or the other involved in, or touched by, the violence. Many parents I have talked to tell me that they feel very alone in dealing with these issues. One mother in particular made a poignant comment to me at a conference...she told me that her child had been taken from her by the violence on the street, and that her son had also caused another mother's child to be taken from his mother as well. Her son had killed another child...she lost her son to the prison, the other mother lost hers to the graveyard. Both these mothers need support. And...don't forget the countless dads, grandparents, siblings and other family and friends who also need support through rough times. There are some parent support groups listed in Steve's Picks. |
| I | In School Programs. All across the nation, schools with programs such as peer mediation and conflict resolution are having great success in reducing violence and increasing school productivity. Other students, like a group in Corpus Christi Texas, have started mentoring programs to help younger struggling students. What a way to boost self-esteem! |
| O | One on One Programs. Big Brothers/Big Sisters comes to mind as a great example of this. Other places I've had the privilege to visit have formed their own support groups for youngsters. Some businesses around the country are offering incentives for their employees to become involved in programs to help youth in a one-on-one fashion. |
| N | Neighborhood Watch Groups. Exciting things are happening in the communities who watch after each other. All types of programs are springing up around the nation that encourage neighbors to work hand in glove with the local police to bring peace and tranquility back to their "hoods". We can't expect someone else to watch after our stuff as good as we can watch it ourselves. I have some contacts with a couple of great programs...should you desire more information, e-mail me at steve@gangwar.com |
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As always...we would like to hear from our readers with information
about programs that are successful in dealing with this juvenile violence
and gang issue. Thanks again for visiting our website. |
