Boston
The following provides a general overview of the 2009 Boston CSI effort (as described in their application for grant funds).PROBLEM:
In 2006, Boston saw a 12-year high in shootings and firearm homicides.
From 1997-2006, total shooting incidents increased by 183% with more recent trends from 2002-2006 showing non-fatal shooting incidents increased 101% and homicides with a firearm increased 22%.
Most of the city's total fatal and nonfatal shootings occur in specific hot spot locations which comprise less than 5% of the city's land but generate over 63% of the fatal and nonfatal shootings.
69% of shooting victims, 67% of homicide victims, and 77% of the identified homicide offenders were 24 and under.
There are a reported 155 gangs of varying size and coherence, though most are identified as neighborhood/street-based as opposed to nationally affiliated.
Approximately 5,000 individuals have been identified by Boston Police Gang and Intelligence officers as gang-involved.
Over 57% of the 250-300 offenders released monthly from Suffolk County House of Corrections return to the hot spot neighborhoods.
Balance prevention, intervention, and suppression to tackle hot spot gang and firearm activity at three levels:
1.Youth at-risk of becoming involved in gangs and firearm activity in hot spots
2.Impact players involved in firearm and gang violence in hot spots
3. Offenders returning from incarceration known to be gang-involved impact players with firearm histories, and returning to hot spot neighborhoods.
1. Bowdoin/Geneva area; Homes Avenue areas of Dorchester.
2. Blue Hill/Morton-Talbot area of Mattapan/North Dorchester.
3. South End/Lower Roxbury.
4. Egleston Square area of Jamaica Plain.
5. Grove Hall area of Roxbury.
1. Job training and placement, including transitional employment for court involved youth.
2. Collecting and analyzing current gang and firearm violence to inform law enforcement deployments and strategy.
3. Targeted and collaborative home-visits through programs such as Operations Homefront, Safestreet, S.C.R.I.P.T., Night Light, and the Safe Street Initiative to provide curfew enforcement, interventions, and referrals.
4. Reaching returning offenders through the Boston Reentry Initiative by using case workers and service agencies to provide support; referrals; health, housing assistance; and employment opportunities.
5. Placing social workers at police stations for immediate referrals and alternatives to arrest.
6. Utilizing trauma intervention services provided by Boston Public Health Commission and developing a City-Wide Trauma Response Strategic Plan and Service Delivery System to assist and train law enforcement, community members, faith leaders, and service providers.
7. Sustaining their past effort by creating of a formal steering committee in year three that will include city, faith and community, philanthropic, and academic partners representing the diversity of the collaborative to oversee and direct the city strategy.
In 2007, firearm homicides and nonfatal shootings decreased 9% and 15% respectfully, since 2006 and further decreased 10% and 7% respectfully in 2008 (1/1 - 12/7/2008).
Suffolk County Sheriff's Department gang intelligence officers has provided 294 intelligence reports containing jail intelligence on gang membership, hierarchy, feuds and potential retaliations, as well as leads on homicides, shootings, and witness intimidation.
Operation Homefront has made 273 collaborative home visits to high-risk girls addressing gang-related prostitution or violence. Operation Night Light has made 500 visits to high-risk or gang-involved impact players in 2007.
Safe Street Initiative reported a 12% decrease in violent crime in the first 6 months since the program was initiated with some places seeing more significant decreases in violent crime.
Enhanced cross border intelligence sharing and mapping with the Brookline Police Department.
Boston Reentry Initiative offenders were found to have a 30% lower rate of recidivism.
Boston Public Health Commission completed a citywide trauma training initiative.
Social workers at police stations contacted 398 clients providing case management and referrals.
Suffolk County District Attorneys Office generated productive relationships among program partners, expanded resources and referrals, and created collaborative projects geared toward the revitalization of the Grove Hall and Uphams Corner community.
Boston Center for Youth and Families, through work with Operation Red Zone, engaged hundreds of disconnected girls and gang involved youth in Girls Leadership Corps, Summits, Girls Night Out, Boston at Night and Urban Youth Leadership Corps.
Boston Youth Service Providers Network hired 30 youth that engaged 755 participants in conflict resolution.
Boston Public Health Commission served 65 victims of shooting/gang violence through its medical center trauma intervention, and 128 partners attended trauma trainings.
Employment and transitional employment services through Youth Opportunity Boston provided intensive case managed to 379 youth, education service to 43 youth, and employment to 342 youth (with 19 passing GED test, 198 securing job placements of which 75% identified as gang-involved/affiliated and 65% at 6th grade reading levels or below at intake).
Boston's community and faith-based organizations work collaboratively to provide additional prevention and intervention services in the five identified hotspot areas to approximately 1,100 youth.