Metropolitan Area Planning Council Coalition Communities
The MAPC/Metro Mayors Shannon CSI Coalition
The following provides a general overview of the 2009 Metro Mayors CSI effort (as described in their application for grant funds).PROBLEM:
Shifting youth population within the Metro Mayors cities and towns, increasing poverty, and fewer positive youth alternatives because of budget cuts all contribute to gang and youth violence activity in the region.
Hiring/retaining school resource officers, gang officers, mentors, and youth workers has become more difficult due to budget constraints.
Youth can move from municipality to municipality to recruit new members, commit crimes more easily, and remain anonymous to law enforcement because of the well developed public transportation system around Greater Boston.
Increased number of neighborhood/street gangs have formed out of fear of, and for protection from, more organized gangs with national roots, who have members in close proximity.
Continue to make after-school programming and summer employment its first priority.
Coordinate regional public education campaigns and organize the youth with a Youth Safety Summit, which will feature a youth roundtable discussion on gun violence.
Build relationships with the Norfolk, Suffolk, and Middlesex DA's Offices to coordinate efforts for youth arrested for gang or gang-related activities in the region.
Increase collaboration efforts and information sharing between law enforcement and prevention partners through monthly Steering Committee meetings and monthly Collaboration meetings.
1. Continue to meet weekly as the Metro Gang Task Force to share information regionally to inform targeted joint hot-spot patrols.
2. Use funding to support OT patrols and investigations.
1. Increase the number of high-risk youth referrals made and improve coordination and follow through capacity.
2. Continue to identify and refer gang-involved and high-risk youth to prevention/intervention programs within the collaborative.
3. Use training opportunities to focus on prevention and intervention efforts including peacemaking and youth-police dialogues.
Served over 1,000 at-risk youth through the creation and expansion of after-school programming and summer jobs programs. Programs include connecting youth to positive role models, development of education and career skills, arts, sports, conflict resolution, and community service projects.
Police departments have increased their ability to track and recognize high-risk and gang-involved youth that travel within their communities through regional information sharing Metro Gang Task Force meetings. The Task Force has prevented at least one retaliatory crime by stopping youth in a car that had loaded handguns, bulletproof vests, and drugs, and also produced more than 1,000 FIO�s and nearly 400 arrests.
Working relationships were formed and built between social service agencies and their law enforcement counterparts within and between municipalities of the collaborative.
Supported 5 gang units and 46 officers receiving anti-gang training, 2,753 OT hours, and 341 hot spot patrols, resulting in 155 arrests.