2007 Strategic Action Plan

The Commission has completed its Strategic Action Plan (PDF: 4.75 Mb). The plan is the Commission's response to the following task:

Develop a more strategic, coordinated, and collaborative effort between the City, law enforcement agencies, social service providers, and the general public with the objective of significantly curtailing gang involvement, and its negative impact, in the City of San Diego.
Make recommendations concerning gang prevention, intervention, diversion, and suppression methods; identify local, state, and federal funding sources; and address other gang-related policy matters. (San Diego Municipal Code Article 6, Division 19)

The Commission Values impacting the Strategic Plan are:

• All residents have a right to live free from violence.
• All residents have a right to social, educational and economic opportunities.
• All communities in the City deserve to thrive; and the Commission opposes any activity that would devalue any community in the City of San Diego.
• Every community of adults has a responsibility to nurture its young people, so they are equipped to make positive choices to succeed in life and not choose gangs or violence as a lifestyle.
• All youth deserve to feel safe in this City.

Strategic Action Plan Addendum A (PDF: 2Mb)

Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee Report, October 22, 2008 (PDF: 2Mb)

Bulletin Reviews Research on Girls' Delinquency (PDF: 231K)
This Juvenile Justice link covers the issue of girls involved in delinquent behaviors and suggests evidenced-based programs help divert them. The report states:

The authors found that girls followed different developmental sequences. No one sequence or pathway of delinquent behaviors applied to a majority of girls. Most girls (about 90 percent) had been involved in some kind of delinquency, most commonly status and non-serious offenses. A minority of girls committed serious offenses – 22 percent committed serious property offenses and 17 percent committed serious assaults. Additionally, a sizable proportion of girls were involved in delinquent offenses before middle school. Girls involved in more serious offending tended to return to a lower level of status or public disorder offending or returned to a non-delinquent status after a short time.

Call for Gang Article Submissions (PDF: 74K)

Prop. 63 Programs (PDF: 5Mb)

County's 30 Day Review Period (PDF: 2Mb) - Please check this website for details and comments: networkofcare.org

Highlights of the 2006 National Youth Gang Survey (PDF: 111K)

U.S. Dept. of Justice: Best Practices to Address Community Gang Problems (PDF: 1Mb)

Weisel Howell 2007 Durham Final Gang Assessment Report

Comprehensive Gang Assessment: A Report to the Durham Police Department and Durham County Sheriff's Office (PDF: 1.8Mb)

Minneapolis has developed a Blueprint for Action

The City of Minneapolis' Blueprint to Prevent Youth Violence has the focus on "climate of violence," and a desire to launch a media campaign to alter that climate. The full report is here for your review.

Blueprint for Action: Preventing Youth Violence In Minneapolis (PDF: 412K)

Big Drop in Homicides in L.A.

Los Angeles Times (9/28/07) - The turnaround comes after a high-profile program that enlists the help of gang intervention workers. (PDF: 15K)

FACJJ - 2007 Annual Report

The Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice (FACJJ) has issued its 2007 Annual Report (PDF: 790K). We are posting the Executive Summary only. The report outlines concerns and issues identified by FACJJ members and their State Advisory Groups. It contains 15 recommendations that illustrate why juvenile justice should remain a national priority and highlights the importance of reauthorizing the JJDP Act.

Established under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act, the role of FACJJ is to advise the President and Congress on matters related to juvenile justice and delinquency prevention, to advise the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention on the work of OJJDP, and to evaluate the progress and accomplishments of juvenile justice activities and projects.

Gang Wars

Gang Wars - The Failure of Enforcement Tactics and the Need for Effective Public Safety Strategies   (PDF: 1.4Mb)

The Justice Policy Institute just released an important review of what works and what doesn't. Written by Judith Greene and Kevin Pranis and published just this month, the Commission is posting this 136 page report for everyone. Please note pages 6 and 7 are the most important pages you can add to your research. A model of prevention and intervention activities can be found in the chapter on New York City (page 15). Please consider reading the whole document but note pages 56-57 and then read 84-97 for a wrap up of what REALLY works and how.