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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 PERSON/TELEPHONE: SUMMARY EXPLANATION: See attached. Resolution Ordinance Other (specify) Contract: Mail to: Contract Term: Amount: Expiration Date: Insurance Required? No Funding Source: Phone: APPROVED FOR City SUBMITTAL: y Manager STAFF RECOMMENDATION: BOARD /COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: ATTACHMENTS: Click to download ❑ 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.