Southern Essex Coalition
The following provides a general overview of the 2009 SEC CSI effort (as described in their application for grant funds).PROBLEM:
Gang activity around the SEC communities is regional, as many incidents within a particular community are committed by individuals from neighboring communities.
Gang activity is concentrated in public places such as schools and shopping malls.
The numbers of gang youth and gang incidents within smaller towns has been increasing.
Drug and substance issues continue to be a challenge to SEC communities.
The SEC strategy will focus on emphasizing:
Communication
Intelligence sharing
Capacity building
Plan for sustainability by forming a Southern Essex Coalition Steering Committee that will seek to engage new agencies and strengthen existing partnerships.
1. Continue regional task force information sharing for targeting OT �hot-spot� patrols.
2. Continue to support school resource officers (SROs).
3. Provide funding for gang awareness trainings.
1. Add three team leaders to support a work readiness and job training program for at-risk youth referred by schools and SROs.
2. Provide at-risk youth with Gang Prevention Through Targeted Outreach, which offers positive alternatives to youth including the Police Athletic League (PAL), job training programs, and academic assistance.
3. Continue funding for a teen drop-in center open two nights a week that will provide education on drug and alcohol abuse and counseling opportunities for youth.
4. Add a program to provide mentoring and violence intervention for at-risk and gang-involved youth.
Increased awareness of gang issues and developed strong inter-community connections between police departments.
Shannon CSI partners worked with schools and local service providers to identify high-risk youth to divert to programs supported through the Shannon CSI grant.
Provided 50 at-risk youth with career development and work readiness skills, provided these youth with summer employment, and met with the youth weekly for support and guidance.
Developed a resource guide to aid law enforcement in referring at-risk youth to Shannon CSI programs.
Community and police continue to work together to address and provide resources for the growing graffiti problem.
Ten school resource officers serve 25 schools in the region, assist in home visits to truant youth and court-involved youthful offenders, and participate in after-school programming.