A Holistic Approach to Violence Prevention through a Community Based, Multi-Agency Collaborative

A Holistic Approach
to Violence Prevention through a
Community Based, Multi-Agency Collaborative

Spirit of Safety Lighthouse Conference
Violence Intervention and Prevention Institute
Jackson State University, MS

Presented By:
Lydia A. Hollie, JD, MAED, Co-Chair
City of Long Beach Weed & Seed Steering
Committee

November 12, 2009

Lydia A. Hollie, JD/MAED: A Holistic Approach_Community-Based Multi-Agency Collaborative_November 12, 2009 1

A Holistic Approach
Community Based, Multi-Agency
Collaborative

Lydia A. Hollie, JD/MAED: A Holistic
Approach_Community-Based Multi-Agency 2
Collaborative_November 12, 2009

Vision is the Foundation
of Positive Change
“Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained,”
- Proverbs 29:18 NASB

An older translation of this axiom is more direct, “Where
there is no vision, the people perish.”

"Record the vision and inscribe it on the tablets, that
one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the
appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will
not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly
come, it will not delay.” Habakkuk 2:2-3 NASB

City of Long Beach
Human Relations Commission
Motto:
“Working Together to Serve”


“Diversity is Our Strength”


An Interim Report and
Re-examination of the Problem of
Youth and Gang Violence in the
City of Long Beach
On November 4, 2003, the City of Long Beach Human
Relations Commission (HRC) presented an Interim
Report and Re-examination of the Problems of Youth
and Gang Violence in the City of Long Beach.

The report reflected the impacts that youth violence has on
the quality of life for youth and human relations in the
city.

The report was approved by the community leadership, the
Long Beach Police Department, unanimously adopted by
the City Council, and implemented.

Youth and Gang Violence in the City of Long
Beach

Key Findings

Approximately 40% of the city's population is comprised of
children and youth,

Whether you were a combatant or not, any citizen had a
50% chance of being a victim of gang violence,

To Stay Alive is No. 1 goal of youth (From Wilson High
Eleventh grade student at the November 11, 2002 Public
Forum).

City of Long Beach

Key Findings

• 67 homicides—31 gang-related, inclusive of 15 gang
motivated homicides (2002),

• Long Beach median income: $40,000 (2002),

• 77,000 families incomes below $35,000 (2002),

• 14,400 families incomes below $19,000(2002)

City of Long Beach
Summary of Recommendations

• Convene a Citywide Intervention Task Force to develop
a 3-year strategic plan to produce measurable and
sustainable outcomes.

• Utilize existing City service contracts with NCCJ to
facilitate the Citywide Intervention Task Force.

• Implement the Youth Commission and Youth Advisory
Council.

Youth and Gang Violence in the City of Long
Beach

• Utilize the Human Dignity Program's Hate Crimes
Response Team and Intergroup Conflict Resolution
Team to mediate gang-related disputes.

• Train selected Gang Intervention Prevention Program
staff as mediators to assist the Human Dignity Program's
Response/Resolution Teams, as appropriate.


City of Long Beach

• Develop a public awareness campaign that promotes
integrity, responsibility, accountability, and respect,
successful models in other communities.

• Allow the HRC to research funding sources.

• Strengthen relations with ethnic community based
organizations.

Long Beach Youth and Gang
Violence Prevention Task Force
Motto:
“Reducing Violence, Saving Lives”


Vision Statement

We envision a community where youth are highly
valued, well educated, skilled for the 21st
century workplace, healthy, law abiding, and
contributing members of society who respect the
rights of others and themselves.


Mission Statement

We are committed to eradicating violence among
youth and young adults by networking resources,
promoting public awareness and educating youth
and young adults on their value to the
preservation of our human race, thereby saving
lives.


Purpose

• In January 2004, the Task Force was established
to inform, consult and collaborate with the city
and other key community partners to identify
preventive measures, responses, and strategies
related to issues of youth violence and gang
activity.


Duties

• The specific duties included needs assessment
of at-risk youth and program evaluation,
performance review of relevant programs and
services, increasing public awareness of
available resources, and reporting the outcomes
to the City Council for action as appropriate.


Task Force Structure & Composition

*The Long Beach Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Task
Force was a 40-member group charged with pursuing
solutions to wide-ranging issues that significantly affect
the quality of life for our youth.

*It represented every major leadership sector of the
community and it reflected the demographic diversity of
the community.

*Task Force members were selected specifically for their
expertise and interest in youth as well as youth violence
prevention and intervention.

Task Force Structural Elements
*The structural framework of the citywide Task Force included
two other elements, which strengthened its capacity to be
effective:

*Executive Committee: Represented the highest leadership of
the city to reflect the diverse interests impacted by youth
violence, provides oversight of the implementation process,
as well as direct support for resource allocation.

*Resource Team: City and Long Beach Unified School District
staff was responsible for providing staff support, reviewing the
City’s current youth-serving policies and programs, identifying
programs by goals and targeted population and activities, and
benchmarking programs from other cities.


Subcommittee Structure

• Early Childhood Education and Parenting

• Workforce Development and Reentry

• Youth Engagement and Violence Prevention

• Media and Community Education

• Research and Resource Development

Community Awareness Initiatives
• The co-produced of two “Enough is Enough” telecasts.
• The organized and endorsed youth/police dialogues.
• Supported conflict resolution workshops citywide.
• The development and delivery of numerous education
forums on such valuable topics as parenting, family
leadership, conflict resolution, educational & career paths for
teens, expungement for adults and youth petitions, and
mental health for children.
• Supported Vigils for Peace to decrease gun violence.
• Supported neighborhood clean-ups.

Key Accomplishments
• Supported community engagement through building an on-going
support structure that connects residents, businesses,
community-based organizations, educational institutions, the faith
community, and City government in successful collaborative
partnerships.

• Stronger community, police and municipal relationships, which
have resulted in many opportunities,

• Successfully accomplished grant acquisitions of both the
Department of Justice Weed and Seed ($1 million) Community
Assistance Grant and the CalGRIP Grant ($400,000).

Key Accomplishments
*Completed citywide criminal activity analysis and
identified Police Beats 4, 5 and 7 as the initial point
of focus.

*LBPD and Department of Parks Recreations and
Marine worked together collaboratively to place
Mobile Rec. sites within the targeted area.

*Held Focus Groups (youth & adult) in target area to
gain in-depth knowledge of community needs and
advice from the residents.

Key Accomplishments
*Endorsed the 64-Day Season for Nonviolence
and focused on a “Weekend of Forgiveness.”
*Delivered First Summer Police/Youth Dialogue at
Martin Luther King, Jr. Park.
*Developed Website
(www.savinglives.longbeach.gov) and Logo.
*Collaborated with city agencies, faith based and
community based organizations, and the
business and education sectors to develop
comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiatives citywide.

Recognition of Efforts
*City of Long Beach Working Together to Serve
Management Conference Award in the category of Best
Effort to keep Long Beach safe.
*City of Long Beach Human Dignity Program Award,
shared with Charter Communications, Press Telegram,
and Leadership Long Beach.

*100 Best Cities for Youth Award, Pacific Region.

*Association of Criminal Justice Research Presentation,
64th Semi-Annual Meeting, Long Beach Conference.


Recognition of Efforts
• California State Assembly

• California State Senate

• Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

• Long Beach City Council

• The California Conference for Equality and Justice

Transition into Long Beach
GRIP Advisory Council

After five years of committed advocacy, and building
community capacity and empowerment to engage
community action to effectively address youth
violence prevention and intervention, the Task Force
moved into a new phase of civic involvement and
evolved into the Long Beach Gang Reduction,
Intervention and Prevention Advisory Council
(LB GRIP Advisory Council) in March 2009.

City of Long Beach
Weed and Seed Strategy
Motto:
“Establishing Model Communities,
One Neighborhood at a Time”


City of Long Beach


City of Long Beach
• The Long Beach Weed & Seed Program is a strategy that aims to
prevent, control, and reduce violent crime, substance abuse, and
gang activity in Central Long Beach, CA.

• This Program is a community-based, comprehensive, multi-
agency approach to law enforcement, crime prevention, and
neighborhood restoration in Police Beats 4 and 5.

• This Program operates out of two Safe Havens at Martin Luther
King, Jr. Park and Ernest McBride Park as safe places for youth
and families to access community resources.


City of Long Beach
Key Target Area Demographics

• Population: 46,000

• Median Household Income: $21,000 annually

• 52% subsist on $15,000 annually

• 950 surveys conducted English, Khmer, and Spanish of target
area residents informed:
– Top 5 Pressing Issues
– Top 5 Community Services Needed


City of Long Beach

Top Five Pressing Issues in the Target Area

Affordable Housing
Graffiti
Gang Violence
Drugs
Drug Dealing


City of Long Beach

Top Five Services Needed in the Target Area

After School Programs
Adult Employment
Affordable Health Care
Sports/Recreation Programs
Youth Employment


City of Long Beach

Foundation

• Law Enforcement Strategy
• Community Policing Strategy
• Prevention/Intervention/Treatment Strategy
• Comprehensive Reentry Strategy
• Neighborhood Restoration Strategy

City of Long Beach


• Family Engagement and Violence Prevention

• Reentry and Workforce Development

• Neighborhood Restoration

• Law Enforcement and Community Policing

City of Long Beach
Key Accomplishments & Recognitions
• Three Safe Havens (King Park, McBride Park,
and most recently, McArthur Park).
• Monthly Community Calendar.
• King Park Make-Over Funded by The Home Deport.
• Kindergarten Festival Kickoff Family Resource Fair.
• Community-Wide Expungement/Sealing Education
Forum and Workshop.
• Community Forum on Parent Empowerment.
• Conflict Resolution Workshop for Youth.
• Washington Neighborhood Street & Alley Clean-up.
• 3-Day Summer Youth A. Hollie, JD/MAED: A Holistic
Lydia
and Police Dialogues.

City of Long Beach
• Cinco de Mayo with Pride Celebration (nearly 1000 attendees
at McBride Park).
• Easter Egg Hunt Festivities (nearly 600 attendees at McBride
Park).
• Central Long Beach and Mombasa, Kenya Town Hall
• Co-Sponsored First Annual Dee Andrews 6th District Track &
Field Meet.
• Sponsor of New Generation Soccer Team.
• Sponsored 2008 and 2009 WOW Jam Community Resource
Fair.
• Parent Empowerment Workshops and Parent Mentor Group.
• Sponsored 6th District Youth Talent Show.

City of Long Beach

• Community Education Monthly Series, “Insider Tips on
Law and Justice.”
• Youth Leadership Development Program.
• PeaceBuilders for Young Children Conflict Resolution
Workshops.
• Co-Sponsored 6th District Youth Empowerment Forum.
• King Park Community Survey.
• Comprehensive Re-Entry Resource Guide.
• Washington Neighborhood Health & Safety Family Day.
• Certificate of Recognition, Councilman Dee Andrews,
Sixth District, Long Beach City Council.

City of Long Beach

Target Area Police Beats 4 and 5
Homicide Statistics:

Year Total Year Total
2004 7 2007 11
2005 13 2008 11
2006 9 2009 4


Community Policing


Youth Leaders at Neighborhood Forum


Neighborhood Clean-Up


Kindergarten Festival


L.B.P.D. Community Relations


WOW Jam - A Faith Based Collaborative


Town Hall with Mombasa, Kenya


City of Long Beach


Long Beach GRIP Advisory Council

Motto:
“Reducing Violence, Saving Lives”



Vision Statement

We envision a community where youth are highly
valued, well educated, skilled for the 21st
century workplace, healthy, law abiding, and
contributing members of society who respect the
rights of others and themselves.



Mission

The Long Beach GRIP Project will create a
collaboration of educational, prevention, and
intervention based programs as well as related
support systems to provide essential education,
career, social, and life skills development training
and services for at-risk youth and adults in the
target area.



Purpose

To oversee the recently awarded state-funded
CalGRIP grant, which is to address youth and
gang violence prevention and youth
development.



~Community Members ~County Office of Education
~City Officials ~Educational Agencies
~County Sheriff
~Community and Faith-
~Probation Based Organizations
~District Attorney ~Businesses
~Local Law Enforcement
~City Staff
~LB Unified School District




• Family Engagement and Violence Prevention

• Reentry and Workforce Development

• Media and Community Education

• Research and Resource Development


• Refer
Underserved youth and young adults to positive
alternatives to gang participation in a safe
environment

• Promote
Community awareness and education
through anti-gang messages

• Enhance
Coordination of existing efforts and resources
related to youth and gang violence prevention
as well Approach_Community-Based A Holistic
as family and community
Lydia A. Hollie, JD/MAED:
Multi-Agency 57

Partners

• City of Long Beach Human Dignity Program
• City of Long Beach Neighborhood Services Bureau
• PeaceBuilders of PeacePartners, Inc.
• The California Conference for Equity and Justice
• Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Network
• Long Beach Police Department
• Long Beach City College
• Long Beach Unified District
• Long Beach Weed and Seed Program
• The Target Area Families, Youth, and Community

Long Beach USD Male Academy


“It's My Future”: Anti-Violence Conference


Peace Rally


Wrigley Community Garden


Peace Mural


Parting Thoughts

I strongly believe that a community's peace and
prosperity is inextricably linked to the strength of its
families. The nucleus of a community is a devoted family
wherein parents are responsible and accountable for
their households, and each child is unconditionally
loved, well nourished, and protected from harm to the
best of the parents' ability. The children represent the
heart of the family.


Parting Thoughts

The family is surrounded by five oscillating rings to
sustain its stability. These rings represent the
neighborhood, faith, education, business, and civic
sectors. Each of these sectors should work in concert to
supplement the family's efforts to rear children to become
stakeholders who are productive members of the
community. These sectors should be strong enough to
prevent pathogens from entering and destroying the
family.


Parting Thoughts

Yet, these sectors should be flexible enough to
collaborate and take the necessary steps, without undue
delay, on the best way to eradicate those factors or
pathogens that contribute to the family's demise. These
rings exist to protect the family, and therefore, establish a
life of quality for the entire community environment.


Parting Thoughts

The well being of families determines whether children
fail or succeed, and whether a community declines or
prospers.


A Holistic Approach
Community Based, Multi-Agency
Collaborative

Thank you

References
1. An Interim Report on the Problem of Youth and Gang
Violence in the City of Long Beach, City of Long Beach
Human Relations Commission, Long Beach, CA (2003).

2. California Gang Reduction, Intervention, and Prevention Grant,
Office of the Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sacramento,
CA (2008).

3. New American Standard Bible (2009), Retrieved on
November 1, 2009, from Website: www.bible.com.

4. Weed and Seed Community Assistance Grant, Community
Capacity Development Office, U.S. Department of Justice,
Washington, D.C. (2007).


Contact Information
Lydia A. Hollie, JD, MAED
Co-Chair, Long Beach Weed and Seed
Steering Committee
Email: savinglivesreducingviolence@gmail.com
Long Beach Weed and Seed Program
1133 Rhea Street
Long Beach, CA 90806
Office: 562.570.4400
http://weedandseed.longbeach.gov

For More Information Contact:
Long Beach GRIP Project
www.savinglives.longbeach.gov

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