Fall River

Problem
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Proposed Strategy
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Past Progress


Problem
Officers report approximately 12 gangs, both national and homegrown, in the city with violent gang incidents occurring weekly in the high schools and middle schools.

Gang activity is not focused in one location; it is transient and often moves in response to increased police enforcement.

Gang activity from other cities has spread into Fall River.

Community factors, including poverty, low education attainment, and availability of drugs and firearms, increase risk of youth becoming gang involved.

Proposed Strategy
Utilize the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model as a framework to incorporate elements of the Philadelphia Youth Violence Reduction Partnership, G.R.E.A.T., and youth outreach workers.

Fall River police department will:
  1. Focus its efforts on both aggravated and simple assaults involving victims or offenders aged 11-28 and on specific individuals using data-driven hot spot locations to target its efforts
Fall River service providers will:
  1. Bring in new partners to provide more services to youth and to reach the older range Shannon CSI target populatio.
  2. Contribute to the development of education and job opportunities through advocacy and referrals
  3. Plan a "Peace by Peace" summit to mobilize the community by engaging and empowering residents to be a solution to the crime problem by giving them skills and knowledge to assist and mobilize others
  4. Implement a reentry initiative for violent offenders 17-26 who are leaving the House of Correction and returning to Fall River
  5. Provide additional out-of-school safe places
  6. Expand its Street Outreach efforts
  7. Develop community-based component of Peaceful Coalition, which will include a junior outreach aspect
  8. Increase mentoring programs
  9. Utilize www.myfallriver.org, a social capital website to connect Shannon Partners to one another and the community, as well as to connect the community to the Shannon Grant

Past Progress
Outreach workers made 1,726 contacts with young people, engaging them in violence prevention, family support, and other constructive activities.

Local Action Research Partner has helped FRPD by mapping crime data for directed overtime patrols (2293 hours, 164 hot spot patrols, resulting in 70 arrests).

Experienced month-by-month decreases in youth-related assaults when compared to previous years numbers since September 2006.

Held a series of Youth/Police dialogues to improve youth/police relations.

Held a teen job-a-thon resulting in 60 new jobs for youth.

Gang and violence prevention programs have served nearly 300 high-risk youth.