Agenda Item No. 9D May 25, 2010 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: Honorable Mayor and City Council Attention: Laura C. Kuhn, City Manager Richard L. Word, Chief of Police GANG ACTIVITY IN THE MARKHAM/ROCKY HILL NEIGHBORHOOD DISCUSSION Criminal Street Gang Defined In California, a criminal street gang is defined as an ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons whose primary activities include the commission of one or more serious or violent criminal acts; that has a common name or identifying sign or symbol; and whose members individually or collectively have engaged in a pattern of criminal gang activity. Studies have shown that gang members commit serious and violent offenses at a rate several times higher than non-gang adolescents, and the willingness to use violence is a key characteristic distinguishing gangs from other adolescent peer groups. Violence also serves to maintain organization or order within the gang and to control gang members. Most gang violence is directed at other gangs. Why Do Youth Join Gangs? There are many different reasons according to researchers. Some youth are drawn by parties, girls, and drugs. Some are looking for a sense of respect and power. Others find a feeling of caring and attention in a gang. It becomes almost a surrogate family for them. Some want to make money to help out at home or to have nice clothes, cars, etc. Others join for self protection because they are picked on by a rival gang. Some grow up in a neighborhood where it is almost a way of life and, finally, most have some real or imagined problem at home that makes them prefer the streets. Gangs in Vacaville There are two validated criminal street gangs in the City of Vacaville. The Nortenos, who are associated with the Nuestra Familia prison gang and the Surenos, who are associated with the Mexican Mafia prison gang. The Nortenos have the largest membership in Vacaville with approximately 200 members and associates. A large number of members live in the Trower neighborhood, while others reside throughout the City. Historically, Trower Park, which is in the Trower Neighborhood, is one particular area where these members associate and has been considered gang turf. As for Surenos, there are approximately 100 Sureno gang members in Vacaville, and they live throughout the City without a concentration in any one area. Police Department staff also has knowledge of other groups in the City and in neighboring jurisdictions who claim to be gangs. For example, The Officials were a disruptive group out of Fairfield whose members were profit motivated (drugs). They were validated as a criminal 1
street gang about three years ago; however, it is now a group that appears to be defunct. We also have knowledge that former members of this group have since joined another group known as The Taliban Squad, which is another validated criminal street gang predominately in the Fairfield area. Further, we do know of at least one former Vacaville resident who had been associated with The Officials; he is currently in jail. Many of the gang members in our community come from a familial background of gang membership, with cousins, siblings, parents, and even some grandparents being members or affiliates of the gang. Both of these criminal street gangs have their own code of conduct, which often recognizes and celebrates acts of violence against rival gangs. They also use violence to enforce the gang culture, holding members accountable to the gang leadership for actual and perceived transgressions against the gang. One of the greatest taboos of this gang culture is talking about the gang to outsiders. Gang members rarely cooperate with police investigations even when victimized by another gang and the identity of the assailants are known. This code of silence creates a culture of retaliation and an endless cycle of violence that is difficult to investigate or stop. Within this gang culture, nobody wants to be known as a snitch. The Solano County Probation Department informed us that 32 juveniles who live in Vacaville are currently on probation with gang terms; another 15 adults fall into the same category. Fifty-one local gang members are formally registered as gang members with the Police Department due to a Superior Court order following their conviction for a felonious gang-related offense. A review of all gang-related incidents (including assaults, robberies, arrests, vandalism, etc.) and gang-related assaults reveals a steep decline in 2009 versus 2008. In 2010, we are on a pace mirroring 2009. Summary of Gang Related Assaults and Total Incidents Year Assaults Total Incidents 2008 38 258 2009 18 118 2010 (as of 4/13/10) 3 38 Vacaville s Prevention, Intervention, and Suppression Activities: The City s response to gangs is solid, comprehensive and has been sustained for several years. Some of those initiatives include: Family Resource Center Targeted school counseling services Parent Project classes Public awareness programs, including Community Police Academy and gang awareness forums Police Activities League (recreational activities, mentoring, boxing, field trips, etc.) 2
Vacaville Neighborhood Boys and Girls Club (life skills training, mentoring, tutoring, recreation and other after-school and summer programming) Mental health and substance abuse services at schools School Readiness Program at Markham Elementary School and other schools Youth diversion contracts supervised by Youth Services Section Master Social Workers and Police Officers Directed police patrols (Patrol officers and Crime Suppression Team officers) Enforcement of our Community Safety Ordinance Law enforcement gang intelligence gathering, identification of gang leaders and coordination with other agencies Crime-Free Multi-Housing Program Monthly Police and Community Team (PACT) meetings with recently released state prison inmates Monthly gang meetings between Crime Suppression Team officers, Youth Services Section officers, County Probation staff, Fairfield Police Department staff and others. Gang Prevention/Intervention Specialist (Family Support Worker) Truancy Reduction Program The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP): Best Practices to Address Community Gang Problems The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention commissioned a research project and guided the early development of a Comprehensive Gang Model. The Model has been tested in various forms in nearly 20 sites, including Los Angeles, Richmond, Virginia, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and North Miami Beach, Florida. The five strategies in OJJDP s Comprehensive Gang Model include: 1. Community Mobilization: Involvement of local citizens, including former gang-involved youth, community groups, agencies, and coordination of programs and staff functions within and across agencies. 2. Opportunities Provision: Development of a variety of specific education, training, and employment programs targeting gang-involved youth. 3. Social Intervention: Involving youth-serving agencies, schools, grassroots groups, faithbased organizations, police, and other juvenile/criminal justice organizations in reaching out to gang-involved youth and their families and linking them with the conventional world and needed services. 4. Suppression: Formal and informal social control procedures, including close supervision and monitoring of gang-involved youth by agencies of the juvenile/criminal justice system and also by community-based agencies, schools, and grassroots groups. 5. Organizational Change and Development: Development and implementation of policies and procedures that result in the most effective use of available and potential resources, within and across agencies, to better address the gang problem. Potential Gaps in Services Based on the experience and expertise of staff and their knowledge of programs that have shown promise, there are efforts we could restore, and others that we could begin, which could 3
assist us in our goal to further prevent gang affiliation and minimize gang activity and its impact in our community. Some of those efforts or programs include: Work with residents, school officials, property owners and other stakeholders to establish a Neighborhood Watch Group in Markham/Rocky Hill area. These groups have shown to be effective neighborhood partners who can support enforcement activities, spot issues before they become crises, develop relationships with young people, and serve as examples, informal mentors, resources, and coaches. Re-implement the GREAT (Gang Resistance Education and Training) at middle schools. GREAT is a school-based, law enforcement-instructed curriculum. GREAT lessons focus on providing life skills to students to help them avoid using delinquent behavior and violence to solve problems. Establish a Targeted Outreach Program, possibly by hiring one or more street outreach workers. Street outreach workers can be an effective component within a broader gang prevention plan. Such workers create a visible presence throughout gang-infected neighborhoods; they develop trust and communication among both youth and police officers and can intervene to help interrupt potentially explosive situations. Implement a Civil Gang Injunction against problem gang members. Staff is currently researching and learning more about the process the City of Fairfield undertook to obtain its temporary gang injunction. Fairfield officers have told us that obtaining even a temporary civil gang injunction is a very labor intensive process. The Fairfield Police Department assigned one detective to the project for an entire year. They also partially funded a Deputy District Attorney who wrote and presented the proposed injunction in court. Fairfield served their injunction notice to 48 validated gang members. In a year s time, Fairfield officers issued 6 citations for violation of their temporary injunction. Consider restoration of the PASSS (Parents and Students Seeking Success) Program. PASSS staffing included 6 Family Support Workers (FSW) with one each assigned to one of six elementary schools. These FSWs would accept referrals from school staff and would work closely with families and involved troubled youth. The FSWs endeavored to link these families to necessary local services. Build stronger partnerships with our local faith community. Faith-based organizations and religious leaders can offer moral suasion, good examples, friendship, programs, skills training, mentorships, social activities, counseling and safe, neutral meeting places to connect gang-involved youth with adults who can help them get out of a gang. Next Steps The Police Department will convene a series of meetings in the Markham/Rocky Hill neighborhood to inform residents of the gang prevention, intervention, and suppression efforts and resources currently in place and to encourage, promote and support formation of one or more Neighborhood Watch groups in the area. Staff will continue to pursue funding through state and federal grants to restore and/or support proven, effective, and evidence-based gang prevention and intervention programs such as those noted above in order fill any gaps in the services we currently provide. 4
FISCAL IMPACT: This is an informational report with no fiscal impact at this time. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council provide comments on the potential new programs regarding gang activity and direct staff to pursue grant funding and other options and report back to the City Council. 5