Prevention Works

Impact of Gang Violence on Businesses and Communities

Many people across the United States understand gang violence or have been victimized by gang violence and activity in their neighborhoods and communities, but what is the effect on gangs and gang violence on business owners?

Gang violence is a critical social and economic issue and it extracts a high toll on the general public, as well as the business community. For example, in the city of Los Angeles alone, there are over 400 gangs with more than 39,000 members, according to the Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles.  Imagine the effects that gang activity and violence has on the businesses where the gangs reside, and the impact it has on both potential investors and customers that patronize these businesses.  Small businesses lose customers, which results in the loss of revenue, loss of funds due to theft, graffiti clean-up, and business restoration. If a gang decides to claim a territory as its own, this often puts fear into current and potential customers and prevents them from patronizing the business.

In addition to all the other negative effects of youth joining gangs, young people who become gang members are an economic burden to society. The cost of incarcerating gang members actually exceeds annual expenses at top private universities, which can total about $60,000 per student for tuition, room, and board. A modern estimate is that nearly 600,000 adult inmates arrive on the doorsteps of communities throughout the country each year (Petersilia, 2003, p. 3). More people are leaving prison today than at any other time in history, and many lack preparation for life on the outside, according to Petersilia’s study. Communities and businesses must redirect their resources to provide training for youth, so that gang members move from being institutionalized criminals of society, to college graduates and taxpayers of which we can be proud.  A great example of this is Homeboy Industries. Homeboy Industries assists at-risk and former gang-involved youth to become positive and contributing members of society through job placement, training, and education (http://homeboy-industries.org). Gang-involved youth can transform from damaging the businesses in their neighborhoods, to one day perhaps owning one.  

Another often overlooked cost of gang violence is the medical and financial consequences. The total volume of crime is estimated to cost Americans $655 billion each year (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2004), and it is reasonable to assume that gangs are responsible for a substantial proportion. Gangs in the United States have long had a significant economic crime impact (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1997; Valdez, 2000).

As is apparent in these statistics, gangs are a very dangerous and expensive problem to businesses and communities.  There are strategies that can be undertaken to address this issue. One is for the businesses to unite and create a business crime watch.  With businesses looking out for each other and reporting suspicious activity, they can let gang members know that their activity is unacceptable to the community.  Couple business crime watch with involvement by all sectors of law enforcement; city, county, and state government; and community members working cohesively to develop strategies and short- and long-term goals to address gang violence, and that can help the community become a healthier place to live, work, and conduct business.  For additional information on gang strategies, fact sheets, bulletins, and webinars, please visit NCPC’s gang prevention pages under resources or clickhere.

Taking Neighborhood Watch to a New Level

Neighborhood Watch (NW) is a proven, recognizable, and structured way for communities to make and keep themselves safe.  It can build community spirit, camaraderie with neighbors, stronger relationships with law enforcement and area businesses, and safer homes and streets. NW has been around for decades, but since 9/11, communities with active NW programs have been encouraged to assist and provide support to homeland security efforts.  Communities have been encouraged to develop an evacuation plan, create a neighborhood directory with phone numbers and email addresses, help neighbors develop emergency preparedness plans, discuss local warning systems and the location of temporary shelters in case of emergencies, and discuss potential terrorist targets in or near the community.

If your NW group is thriving and looking to take its activities to the next level, consider this new approach for your NW group.  First responders make up only 1 percent of the U.S. population.  When disasters strikes, such as tornadoes (Tuscaloosa and Joplin, spring 2011), hurricanes (Katrina, 2005 and Irene, 2011), flooding (Mississippi River, 2011) and snow (Alaska, 2012), the first responders and agencies such as FEMA and the Red Cross can be overwhelmed. Your NW group could assist in recovery efforts by partnering with Citizen Corps and be trained in the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) curriculum, which includes fire safety, first aid/triage, emergency preparedness, disaster psychology, organization, and terrorism.  Citizen Corps was created to support the Department of Homeland Security to mobilize the country against threats to national security and assist in the recovery after a disaster or terrorist attack. 

Your NW group can be a vital player in assisting Americans during their time of need. Your group can undertake activities such as creating partnerships with the local business owners to create a directory similar to one developed for your NW community and planning activities year-round to correspond with Crime Prevention Month events in October. NW can organize around may topics, not just crime.  Your group could consider seasonal needs, including weather events or tourist season; year-round celebrations, including Celebrate Safe Communities, www.celebratesafecommunities.org, events; terrorism prevention; and medical emergencies (don’t forget to check on the elderly in your community.)  To learn more about Citizen Corps visit www.citizencorps.gov.  To find assessments and information to enhance your NW , visit NCPC’s home and neighborhood safety pages under the “Resources” tab.

To find out more about taking your NW group to a new level and partnering with Citizen Corps program, download this podcast interview with Tami Wyrick, executive director of the Virginia Crime Prevention Association.

An Inside Look at Reentry

Reentry is a widespread term used to refer to concerns related to the transition of offenders from prison and other institutions to community supervision.[i] Crime prevention practitioners further expands the concept of reentry to include the use of programs targeted at promoting the effective reintegration of offenders back to communities upon release from institutions, such as community-based detention, rehabilitation and recovery programs, prison and jail. Reentry programming, which often involves a comprehensive case management approach, is intended to assist offenders in acquiring the life skills needed to succeed in the community and become law-abiding citizens. A variety of programs are used to assist offenders in the reentry process, including pre-release programs, drug rehabilitation, vocational training, and work programs.

Nearly 650,000[ii] people are released from state and federal prison yearly and arrive on the doorsteps of communities nationwide. Far greater numbers reenter communities from local jails, and for many offenders and defendants, this may occur multiple times in a year. According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) study of 15 states, more than two-thirds of state prisoners released from incarceration were re-arrested and more than half returned to prison within three years of their release. Over the past three decades, the correctional population has increased from approximately 1.8 million in 1980 to more than 7.2 million in 2009, with the majority (70 percent) under the supervision of community corrections (probation or parole). The total national-, federal-, and state-level direct expenditures for corrections (including community corrections) were $74 billion in 2007.

While these numbers are astounding, law enforcement professionals, government officials, and communities around the nation are committed to developing programs and strategies to reduce the recidivism amongst non-violent offenders by addressing these barriers—education/skills, medical care/substance abuse treatment, employment, housing, and family reunification. A recent response to these efforts is the passage of the Second Chance Act by Congress, which will restore funding to continue to develop and implement initiatives central to offenders’ personal and skill development. With all of these entities working together, we can be successful in addressing the reentry challenges that non-violent offenders have and help them to make a successful transition back into society.

 

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[i] Center for Court Innovation

[ii] Bureau of Justice Statistics

Pact360 Can Help You Talk With Children And Youth About Drugs and Alcohol

Celebrate Safe Communities (CSC) connects local people with local law enforcement to address local issues, creating a safer and healthier environment for communities and families.  As a supporter of this initiative, The Partnership at Drugfree.org offers additional outlets that assist communities on a local level.  Our PACT360 Community Education program supports families’ efforts to talk with their kids about alcohol and other drugs and get help in their communities if they need it.  The materials in this program are designed to be presented at a grassroots level and help address community-specific substance abuse issues.

PACT360 contains five key programs, which are designed to provide parents with a “360-degree” view of existing and emerging drug and alcohol issues:

• Meth360 is a presentation that explains how methamphetamine affects individuals, families and communities.  It also identifies actions that can be taken to prevent use and abuse of this drug.
• Parents360 identifies some of the reasons why kids use drugs and what parents can do to respond to a problem in their own teens.
• Youth360 is a unique program that combines powerful storytelling and an interactive game to get kids thinking about the consequences of drug use and of their negative actions.
• Latino360 and Padres360 are versions of the Meth360 and Parents360 presentations that have been translated into Spanish and acculturated for a Hispanic audience.

Community members can select which PACT360 resources and components are most useful and most needed to help them address substance abuse issues in their neighborhoods.  Thanks to support from the U.S. Department of Justice, the program is available free of cost to any who wish to use it.

While PACT360 is a national program, it comes to life at the local level, where local law enforcement, education and treatment professionals combine their firsthand experience with the presentations and information provided by The Partnership at Drugfree.org.  To date, over 37,000 people have viewed these presentations and committed to sharing the information with their communities.  Thanks to the program, thousands of local communities are being helped and educated about substance abuse issues—and that is something worth celebrating!

To learn more about the program, or to obtain program materials and presentations, visit the PACT360 website.

Start Snitching: The Social Taboo of Crime Reporting

The best way to protect ourselves from being victims of crime is to take preventative measures, and to report crimes that are known or witnessed. The task of reporting seems easy to most, but criminals and their associates go to great lengths to keep that from happening. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word “snitch” means “to inform, tattle” (2011). Stop Snitching campaigns have grown strength in the past couple of decades, popularized by the entertainment industry. Phrases like “Snitches End Up in Ditches” or “Snitches End Up with Stitches” indicate that reporting a crime will result in physical harm, injury, or death. With consequences like that, it’s no wonder there is a fear to cooperate with law enforcement officials.

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) released a report in 2009 that offered several suggestions for officers in breaking the silence. Though the strategies are targeted for law enforcement personnel, they can be utilized by the general public as well. The strategies suggested were not specific to the type of crime committed, but rather overall tips on how to encourage reporting.

• Meet with neighborhood associations to initiate a counteractive campaign (COPS, 2009). A counteractive campaign on this topic would be referred to a “Start Snitching” campaign, which encourages community members to share information on criminal activity. If an association is not available, consider forming one, like Neighborhood Watch. Reporting crime individually may seem intimidating, but with an organized backing, more people may be willing to come forth.

• For those of you in the law enforcement field, increase police presence in high-crime areas (COPS, 2009). The increased visibility of officers will help the community members feel supported and guarded, thus encouraging a more cooperative relationship between law enforcement and the public. If you are not a member of law enforcement, contact your local authorities to see about getting an increased presence in your neighborhood.

• Support community members who want to report crimes but fear retaliation by providing a way to submit anonymous tips (COPS, 2009).

• Debunk the stereotype of snitching. Educate the public on the difference between reporting criminal activity and “tattling.”

For more information on crime reporting, check out more resources at Celebrate Safe Communities as we celebrate Crime Prevention Month.

Volunteers in Police Service Support Crime Prevention

At the Volunteers in Police Service Program (VIPS), we agree that safe communities are a thing to celebrate. VIPS is proud to partner with the National Crime Prevention Council and Celebrate Safe Communities to not only educate residents about crime prevention, but also recognize the work of dedicated law enforcement volunteers who offer their time on a daily basis to help prevent crime and promote public safety.

There are more than 244,000 law enforcement volunteers supporting more than 2,180 state, local, tribal, and campus VIPS Programs. We know the actual number of volunteer programs is much higher. Volunteers support many different facets of law enforcement work, including investigations, chaplaincy, code enforcement, and property management. One of the most significant areas in which volunteers provide support is crime prevention.  

Examples of volunteer crime prevention activities include:

• Performing vacation home checks for traveling residents
• Completing property security surveys with home and business owners
• Planning and supporting community public safety events
• Assisting with D.A.R.E. and other youth outreach events
• Speaking about crime prevention topics to civic and neighborhood groups
• Joining or leading a Neighborhood Watch
• Conducting citizen patrols in neighborhoods, businesses, and school grounds by car, bike, or foot

Are you ready to become a law enforcement volunteer?

Not all of the activities listed above are available in all jurisdictions, but there are likely many exciting and rewarding opportunities in your own community.

Visit www.policevolunteers.org/programs to search the VIPS Program Directory for law enforcement volunteer programs near you. The directory can be searched by zip code, state, and keyword.  On each listing, you will find a profile of the program and contact information for the volunteer program manager. If your local agency is not listed, try calling the department directly, as they may have volunteer opportunities that are not listed on the national website.

If you are a law enforcement agency looking to start or enhance your volunteer program, visit www.policevolunteers.org for access to a variety of publications, an information sharing listserv, and the Building Blocks of a Law Enforcement Volunteer Program E-learning Course.

For questions about volunteering with or implementing a law enforcement volunteer program, email info@policevolunteers.org or call 1-800-THE-IACP.

To hear more about VIPS crime prevention efforts, listen to the latest edition of the VIPS Monthly Podcast Series, This October, Celebrate Safe Communities.

The Volunteers in Police Service Program is managed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

Celebrate Safe Communities

Celebrate Safe Communities! Whether you are planning a summer safety fair, a Neighborhood Watch expansion, or a meet and greet with local police and fire officials to keep your community safe during the summer months, the National Crime Prevention Council has a program, Celebrate Safe Communities, which offers support for your local efforts.

Celebrate Safe Communities (CSC) is crime prevention done the right way—local folks working with local law enforcement to address local issues. CSC spotlights communities’ crime prevention efforts, enhances public awareness of vital crime prevention and safety message, and recruits year-round support for ongoing prevention activities that help keep neighborhoods safe from crime and prepared for any emergency.

 

Since its inauguration in 2008, CSC has reached more than 500,000 Americans of all ages in 39 states and Washington, DC, with crime prevention messages and resources. Register your public safety event at www.celebratesafecommunities.org to join hundreds of other neighborhoods across the country working together to create safe communities.

A CSC event can be anything large or small that promotes community safety. Some communities hold block parties. Others host a neighborhood safety fair, a shredding event, or safety training program. Any effective strategy to engage your community to be proactive in reducing crime or the fear of crime or to prepare for any public safety emergency can become a CSC event.

 

Get a free website created for your organization, localize ready-to-use public service ads to promote your event, or partner with Kwikset’s home safety McGruff® Tour to help your community fight against burglary and home safety crime. These are some of the exciting incentives offered by CSC partners. Organizations that register will have access to free downloadable resources, training programs, and other resources, and the first 600 will also receive a starter kit with materials to hand out at events or to use in your agency crime prevention programs. 

Resources in the starter kit include, such items as 100 each of Neighborhood Watch Needs You booklets, Tips With Thanks from McGruff the Crime Dog® pamphlets, McGruff silly bands, and plastic bags with tips for reporting crime. Other program materials are being developed based upon feedback from 2010 CSC participants. Some new items that will be available in 2011 include templates to localize and promote your event (including some in Spanish), comic books with updated images of McGruff and his nephew Scruff, and tips sheets on current crime trends.

 

Even if you are planning a summer event, we encourage you to plan now to also participate in Crime Prevention Month in October. CSC is a year-round effort to promote the participation of all people in neighborhood safety.

CSC is brought to you by the National Crime Prevention Council in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance at the U.S. Department of Justice. CSC was developed in 2008 in partnership with the National Sheriffs’ Association to help extend your message of crime prevention and community safety.

For more information, visit www.celebratesafecommunities.org or www.ncpc.org.

Celebrating Safely

Studies have shown that adolescent and young adult drinking patterns vary throughout the year, but that behavior peaks during holidays, such as St. Patrick’s Day (Martell et al., 2006). We know that drinking at a moderate to heavy rate can lead to serious consequences such as date rape, violence, robbery, trouble with the law, and even death. One aspect of drinking that isn’t as commonly considered a risky decision is the type of alcohol being consumed. In this instance, we’re talking about caffeine and alcohol, which primarily happens in two ways:

1) mixing the two separate ingredients together to make a beverage, or

2) beverages where the two substances are pre-mixed, called caffeinated alcoholic beverages. While this sounds harmless, it is quite the opposite.

An article from the journal Contemporary Drug Problems suggests that consumption of caffeine with alcohol may reduce the felt effects of the alcohol, resulting in the consumer drinking more than intended (Kuhns, Clodfelter, Bersot, 2010). Risks associated with overconsumption of alcohol include losing consciousness, alcohol poisoning (as demonstrated here), behavioral changes, and increased vulnerability for becoming a victim of crime. Kuhns et al.  (2010) suggest that there is a link between caffeine consumption in general, but also when mixed with alcohol leading to aggressive behavior and victimization.   “About 1 million violent crimes occurred in 2002 in which the victims perceived the offender to have been drinking at the time of the offense” (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2010). Caffeine and alcohol may promote aggressive or violent behavior, but also may lead to situations where the consumer is the victim. Examples of this could be robbery and sexual assault. Three additional articles (Reisig et al., 2008; Miller, 2008a, 2008b) suggest that those likely to combine the substances are more likely to take advantage of someone sexually or engaging in and instigating physical altercations (as cited in Kuhns et al., 2010). While these situations are not 100 percent preventable, not over consuming alcohol can reduce your risks of falling victim to these crimes.

If you are of a legal drinking age and choose to celebrate a special occasion or holiday by drinking alcohol, BE CAREFUL. Taking certain precautions will help reduce your risks of alcohol-related problems:

• Plan ahead: Have a designated driver or plan to take a taxi home.
• Keep track of how much you consume. Maintaining a low level of alcohol can prevent you from making risky decisions and actions.
• Stay with the group you came with, and don’t leave with people you don’t know.  This can help prevent the likelihood of assault or abduction. Offer a ride or call a cab for a friend trying to drive drunk.  Not only will you ensure they won’t get in an accident but also they won’t be breaking the law.
• Intervene or report the incident if you witness an uncomfortable interaction between people that have been drinking. Your intervention could lead to the prevention of physical or sexual assault.

While you may not choose to drink, you can make sure that those who do, do it safely.  To learn more about caffeinated alcoholic beverages and their dangerous side effects, check out the Center for Disease Control fact sheet.

WHAT’S YOUR RESOLUTION?

We all know the drill. 2010 is coming to a close and right about now is the time for those beloved, yet often-forgotten New Year’s resolutions. Lose those last five (or fifty) pounds, quit smoking, work less, play harder; whatever your vice is,  now is the time to choose to get rid of it and move forward! The season is alive and well with goal-driven energy and it is only right that we make the best of it.

Though most resolutions are motivated by personal reward, why not try something new this year and consider not only how you can help yourself but also how you can support your local community and address an issue that is a concern for everyone. Ask yourself in 2011, what can I do to prevent crime in my community? What can I do to help the youth I pass everyday stay out of trouble? Even the smallest acts of service are effective in crime prevention. To help get you started, try some of these ideas:

• Become more active in the community by participating in or starting a Neighborhood Watch program
• Ensure your children know how to handle bullying situations. You can watch NCPC’s “Samantha’s Choice” video for a simple conversation-starter
• Volunteer at a community center to conduct activities for youth

Whatever activity you choose, make sure to engage your own interests so that it is fun for you. As many of us know, it’s easier to stick to those resolutions that we find enjoyable. The important thing to remember is that the new year is a new opportunity to do something bigger and better than we did before and what better way to start the year off right than to do our part to prevent crime and be the change we want to see in society.

A Simple Rule: When in Doubt, Call the Cops

By Carmen Gonzales Caldwell, originally posted on MiamiHerald.com on 11/5/10

This week I want to share with you some issues that are happening in various parts of Miami-Dade. The last couple of weeks I have received e-mails from residents who are concerned with strangers in the neighborhood.

From Frank in the city of Miami: Carmen, yesterday I was cutting the grass and there was a woman selling magazines for her children school. I asked what school and she couldn't remember.  She has a bunch of subscription books with her that looked legit but I wasn't comfortable with the situation. Should I have called the police?

From Nancy in Northside: I am having troubles with kids skipping school and hanging out on their front porch. Sometimes there are 10 or 15 kids just hanging out, not really doing anything wrong, but they should be in school. Should I call the police like you said in one of your articles? I don't want them to get a record, but surely they are not learning while hanging all day.

From Jessica in Cutler Ridge area: Yesterday I was coming home and there was a truck that said ``Air Condition Repair.'' The letters were hand painted, which there is nothing wrong with, that but it looked like he was just wandering and not really looking for an address. I called out to him and asked if he was lost, and he said no just checking to see if anyone needed his service. He stopped in front of a couple of houses, two that are abandoned. A couple of weeks ago someone broke into an abandoned foreclosed house, took all the wiring, yet no one called the police. Will the police come even though the house is abandoned?

The answer to all of the above is whenever you are not comfortable with any situation in your neighborhood, calling the police is the best way to go, no matter where you live. Let the police check it out.  Readers, I can't stress enough the importance of calling the police when in doubt. That is called crime prevention.