The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About10/18/2011 03B Yakima Gang Free Initiative Update YAKIMA POLICE DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Yakima City Council VIA: Council Public Safety Committee Kathy Coffey, Chair Maureen Adkison Bill Lover Rick Ensey (alternate) FROM: Don Cooper, City Manager Michael Morales, Assistant City Manager Greg Copeland, Acting Police Chief Mike Merryman, Lieutenant DATE: October 6, 2011 SUBJECT: Yakima Gang Free Initiative Update Since the last City Council Update on the Yakima GFI, (June 1, 2011), the City of Yakima GFI Steering Committee and it's sub - committee members completed work on the community assessment and programming recommendations via the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model. For a quick overview of the model we followed, which will explain the process in greater detail, go to http: / /www.nationalgangcenter. gov/ Comprehensive -Gang- Model /Online - Overview and review the "online overview." (A complete viewing of this on -line video presentation, which is made in segments, will take approximately 25 minutes but outlines the process we have been following very well). As a reminder, the City of Yakima Gang Free Initiative was formally adopted as a City strategy in April of 2010, with full implementation in October of 2010 with the hiring of our Yakima GFI consultant, Steve Magallan, with funding from the City. The City of Yakima GFI is based on the five principles of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's Comprehensive Gang Model referenced above. This model and other "Best Practices" are being used by communities across the country to effectively address gang crime and violence. As of this time we have completed the initial contract with Magallan Consultancy. The City Council recently approved a contract with Magallan Consultancy for up to $30,000.00 for the coming year to assist with the development of and implementation of the GFI Action Plan and the recruitment and hiring of a GFI Coordinator. 1 GFI Plan & the Future At this point in time Community Assessment and Community Profile are complete and published. This assessment, which is the result of seven (7) months of painstaking work, is being used as the "compass" for future GFI efforts and planning. It has been the development of this tool which will serve as the foundation for our programming and community response to address Yakima's gang crime and violence. The GFI sub - committees have recently been dedicating most of their time and effort to working through the development of our Action Plan. An ad -hoc committee is working through the Action Plan and recommendations will be forthcoming regarding a proposed implementation schedule. Unfortunately, much of that schedule will be dependant on funding restraints. GFI consultant Steve Magallan is providing assistance to the sub- committees as they work through this phase. Also on the table for development is a resource directory, which will follow. This will be a discussion item at our next GFI Steering Committee meeting. Staff Assignments and Resources Lt. Mike Merryman with the Police Department is still serving in the capacity of GFI director with Steve Magallan fulfilling the duties of GFI consultant/coordinator. Councilman Dave Ettl requested to be removed from the GFI and Council member Maureen Adkison took over as the GFI steering committee chair. Council member Kathy Coffey continues to serve on the prevention sub - committee and Council member Maureen Adkison remains on the intervention sub - committee. The GFI's next staff move will be the identification and hiring of our "coordinator," who will succeed Steve Magallan. Funding for this position is in the budget process. Options on the table at this point in time include possible grant funding or funding via the City of Yakima. Recent GFI Related Activities The Yakima GFI is receiving more recognition as time goes on as a player in the anti - gang effort. We have recently been involved with a Promise Neighborhoods grant application process with Ready by Five. We also learned that a prior collaborative funding opportunity with the Yakima County Gang Commission was not successful. The GFI presented at a Parent Forum at Washington Middle School on October 13 The GFI Executive Committee also met on the 13 to develop a new media campaign. Next Steps At this time the GFI, with the assistance of Magallan Consultancy, should approve and publish a final GFI coordinator job description, followed closely by the recruitment and hiring of the coordinator to succeed Steve. This product is being developed at this time with the hiring process dependant on identifying funding for the coordinator position. 2 Identification of possible funding sources ,for various components of the GFI strategy will continue to be explored. Our exploration of funding opportunities will extend to foundations and private entities as we move forward rather than only looking at state federal funding opportunities. Lastly, and as a reminder to all, the development and implementation of a strategy as complex as the City of Yakima's GFI, requires implementation in phases. The schedule below was agreed to by all during the development/exploration phase of the City's anti - gang movement. The implementation schedule is as follows: This schedule has been color coded for ease of understanding our status at a glance. (Green — Completed, Blue — In Progress, Red — Not Started) Phase 1: within 0 - 6 months • City council authorizes the City Manager to utilize up to $75,000 in contingency funds this year to execute a personal contract as presented in Addendum D to assist in the initial phases of plan development. This contractor /coordinator should be an expert in the field of community mobilization and partnerships. • Continue the current marketing campaign aimed at informing residents, current and potential partners, and residents of the GFI (on -going in all phases). • Recruitment of community partners and residents to serve on the Steering Committee. (To include sub - committees). • Steering Committee members, Council, and city staff receive community mobilization training (should be conducted by contractor /coordinator). • Continue to identify and apply for outside grant funding (on -going in all phases). • Develop a Memorandum of Understanding between City and partners. • Continue current, suppression, prevention, and intervention activities (on- going in all phases). • City Council formally appoints Steering Committee members. • Initiate the development of a Community Needs Assessment (on -going in all phases and necessary for future funding opportunities). • Identify neighborhoods in need of assistance using Crime Analysis. • Identify neighborhood residents, leaders, and business owners to support the GFI. • Direct that monthly updates of the GFI be presented to the Council Public Safety Committee and quarterly to the full Council. Phase 2: 7 —12 months (in addition to completion of any activities in Phase 1) 3 • Steering Committee members recruit sub- committee members. • Sub - committee members trained in community mobilization. • Steering Committee, sub - committee, contractor, staff, and GFI Director develop goals, objectives, measurements, and tasks for the Implementation Plan. • Put into practice activities and tasks as identified in the Implementation Plan (on- going) • Continue to identify funding sources. • Recruitment of Project Coordinator (original contractor may fill this role). • Identification of measurement tool for GFI evaluation (will be necessary when applying for certain grant funding). • Steering and sub - committee members, City staff, Project Director, and Contractor /Coordinator receive training on OJJDP's "A Guide to Assessing Your Community's Youth Gang Problem ". • Create a Data Collection Plan and appoint the Assessment Work Group Members • Phase 3: 13 months — ongoing (in addition to completion of any activities in Phases 1 and 2). • Hire evaluator. • Continue on -going activities from Phases 1 and 2. • Celebrate successes. It should be noted the activities within the various Phases may be updated as necessary by the City, steering committee, and City Council. It is important to continuously test the validity of activities and /or strategies, eliminate those which are not successful or achievable and inject new ones as appropriate. The marketing plan should be an on- going activity not only to inform the residents and stakeholders, but to also ensure GFI successes are acknowledged. Summary: The effort to address gang crime and violence in the City of Yakima and make our community safer has been multi - faceted involving members of the community and representatives of our social network, and has required a clear long -term vision and commitment on what needs to be done to make that happen. The role of those involved in this effort has been and will continue to primarily be that of "Vision Casters" and policy setters. The proposed GFI framework outlines the structure in which a Steering Committee will operate to carry out the direction of the Council, to "Reduce gang related crimes and activity within the City of Yakima." 4