HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/19/2012 11 Gang Free Initiative Report f rk. "w.z k
BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA STATEMENT
Item No. l
For Meeting of: June 19, 2012
ITEM TITLE: Gang Free Initiative Report
SUBMITTED BY: Chief Dominic Rizzi, Jr. 575 -6211
CONTACT Lt. Mike Merryman 575 -6218
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❑ Yakima Gang Free Initiative Report
Yakima Gang Free Initiative
Activity Report for the period ending May 31, 2012
Introduction:
As of February 2, 2012 the focus of the Yakima Gang Free Initiative Steering Committee has shifted from
that of comprehensive strategic planning to organizational development and plan implementation. The
Community Action Plan: A Comprehensive Approach to the Prevention, Intervention & Suppression of
Youth Gangs [Action Plan] recommends the institution of four core components including:
1) The GFI Advisory Group
Because the primary directive of the GFI Steering Committee is strategic planning and the fact that the
Action Plan has been completed the GFI Executive Committee recommends to the City Council that the
group be reformed under the title of Advisory Group. The role of the advisory group is to recommend
policy and provide oversight to the GFI Implementation activities. Advisory Group members will also act
as liaison between their sector and the GFI spearheading efforts to remove barriers to services and to
social and economic opportunities; develop effective criminal justice, school, and social agency
procedures; and promote policies that will further the goals of the gang strategy. The GFI Executive
Committee has identified a list of potential new Advisory Group members and has initiated targeted
recruitment efforts.
2) The Youth Development Team
The Youth Development Team is at the core of the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model and plays a key
role in identifying and delivering intervention and prevention services. This team is composed of a
multidisciplinary group of professionals from the fields of law enforcement, probation, outreach,
education, and social services, who work together to case manage the intervention targets of the action
plan and to identify additional prevention, intervention, and suppression activities needed in the target
communities. Participation on the Youth Development Team can increase the effectiveness of each
agency's efforts, reduce duplication of services, increase access to needed services, and ensure that
gang members are held accountable for their actions. Recruitment of the Youth Development Team has
been scheduled to begin in October of 2012 to coincide with the launch of GFI Partner Services delivery
scheduled for September of 2012.
3) GFI Coordination Services
GFI Coordination is instrumental to ensuring a successful implementation of the strategic actions
included in the action plan. Coordination services will establish and maintain linkages between public
and private partnerships ensuring effective utilization of resources directed toward the suppression of
gang related crime and violence, intervening with gang - involved youth and their families enabling the
eventual departure from the gang lifestyle, and prevention of future gang proliferation through
coordinated youth development strategies. Magallan Consultancy, LLC has been secured to provide GFI
Coordination Services which began May 15, 2012. As a function of the Coordination Services
agreement, Magallan Consultancy, LLC has opened an office housing the GFI Administrative Services
located at 103 S. 3' Street Suite 101, Yakima, WA. In addition to the Coordination services, Magallan
Consultancy, LLC has also hired a local Project Manager tasked at 80% FTE. The Project Manager, Tina
Wilson, will work closely with Steve Magallan throughout the implementation period.
GFI Project Management currently consists of:
Yakima City Council
GFI Executive Committee, Dave Ettl (Chair), Maureen Adkison, and Kathy Coffey
GFI Director, Mike Merryman
GFI Coordinator, Steve Magallan, Magallan Consultancy, LLC
GFI Project Manager, Tina Wilson, Magallan Consultancy, LLC
GFI Advisory Group
4) The Youth & Family Development Center
The purpose of the Youth & Family Development Center (YFDC) is to establish a physical location from
which centralized management and coordination functions supporting the implementation of the
Community Action Plan would originate. In addition, the YFDC would function as the community's anti -
gang "forum" or single point of access for information and services related to gang suppression,
intervention and prevention The core function of the YFDC is to serve as the nucleus of the strategic
actions described throughout this comprehensive anti -gang strategy. The YFDC would offer a variety of
partner-driven services and activities In addition, the YFDC would be home to the Youth Development
Team, Yakima Truancy Center, and GFI Advisory Group whose functions are described in detail
throughout this plan The implementation objective for 2012 is to establish a Youth & Family
Development Center at one or more of the existing City of Yakima community centers. The GFI Advisory
Group has identified a potential location in the Miller Park Activity Center. The consensus among the
members of the group is that sufficient space is currently available within the facility and its adjacent
pool house The next step in securing this facility is to negotiate a co- location agreement with the
current tenants (Y- PAL) and forward the recommendation and budget impact statement to City Council
for consideration in July, 2012
Status of GFI Partnership Development:
The direct services described in the Action Plan will be secured through partnership agreements with
preferred providers operating within the City of Yakima. The Advisory Group is currently working to
identify a Preferred Provider Network of organizations and agencies currently providing one or more of
the services described in the Action Plan or with the capacity for and successful history of service
delivery to the targeted population
The primary mechanism for identifying potential partners is a Preferred Provider Network orientation
meeting and applicant workshop scheduled for August 1, 2012. The two hour meeting will provide
attendees with an overview of the GFI Action Plan, partnership opportunities and terms and conditions.
Broad based community awareness and education of the GFI will be accomplished through the use of a
two -day Youth and Family Development Symposium to be held in October of this year. The symposium
will focus on the three areas of development relative to the City of Yakima Gang Free Initiative —
Suppression, Intervention and Prevention. In addition, the symposium is designed to engage the
support of community stakeholders The tentative keynote speaker for the event is David M. Kennedy,
criminologist behind the national CeaseFire initiatives and author of Don't Shoot!
Service components currently under development include the Yakima Truancy Center. A special
committee including representatives from Yakima School District, Yakima Juvenile Courts, and ESD 105
have completed the development of a comprehensive Truancy Prevention strategy and are currently in
the budget impact phase of planning. The strategy incorporates existing resources into a series of
intervention points including judicial determined by the severity and chronicity of individual behavior.
The strategy also incorporates the utilization of the YFDC as a "triage" for emergent and urgent action.
Services in cue for development following the PPN orientation include referral and screening, individual
needs assessments, outreach and family reunification services.
Current GFI Activities:
Finally, the GFI continues to use local expertise in the development and implementation process
through the members of the Advisory Group. Members have been assigned to four primary working
committees which meet bi- monthly and include:
1) Marketing & Community Education. This committee is currently working on the development of
informational tools including a GFI Website and messaging campaign. The targeted completion date for
the website is September 2012. This committee is also tasked with the Symposium to be held in
October 2012.
2) Planning & Development. This committee has taken the lead in the selection of the YFDC facility(ies).
Selection of a facility is scheduled to be completed by September 2012.
3) Implementation. This committee is focused on the procurement of partner services and is the lead
behind the PPN Orientation. The orientation is scheduled to take place August 1, 2012.
4) The Preferred Provider Network Committee. This committee is tasked with conducting outreach to
and vetting applicants for the PPN. The information obtained through this process will be compiled into
a PPN directory for use in the YFDC resource center. This project is slated for completion in August
2012.
Respectfully submitted on June 11, 2012
By Steve Magallan, Magallan Consultancy, LLC.