Worcester
The following provides a general overview of the 2009 Worcester CSI effort (as described in their application for grant funds).PROBLEM:
Worcester Gang Unit has identified 24 (down from 28) active street gangs with approximately 800-1,000 actual members, of which 5% are considered extremely violent, and approximately 2,000 wannabe youth.
Internet websites have increased gang social network and recruitment.
Gang violence is often retaliatory, many victims turn into offenders and vice versa, and gun violence is often limited to a small amount of offenders.
Age of offenders is increasing.
Worcester police department will:
1. Prevent vulnerable youth from becoming involved in gangs or adopting gang behavior.
2. Serve as the principle referring source to all Shannon Partner Programs.
3. Reduce gun and gang violence.
4. Improve the quality of life for at-risk youth.
5. Increase education, job skills, and job opportunities for re-entry offenders.
6. Attempt to overcome uncooperative behavior by victims/perpetrators by placing both under heightened scrutiny and pressure for cooperation.
7. Create a network of area law enforcement officials to immediately address gun and gang violence.
8. Meet with individuals at the local jail who are set to be released from drug and violent crime offenses to make them aware of consequences of future arrest and to provide helpful information about service providers they can use for assistance.
9. Conduct home visits with probation and juvenile probation officials checking on recently released individuals.
10. Conduct Hot Spot patrol of gang area driven by data supplied through the SVPG program.
11. Conduct periodic Warrant sweeps for probation violator and high level gang members.
12. Provide valuable mentoring services to at-risk youth and to older youth involved in the Jobs program.
13. Provide education and training on gang awareness, myths of gangs, and gang avoidance.
14. Work with the public school system to help identify and service gang involved youth.
15. Conduct a 3 one-week summer camps for at-risk youth, (age 8-15) which focuses on gang prevention and health choices.
16. Provide positive mentoring services through 10 local area church, which service over 350 youth.
1. Continue and expand its efforts on providing positive alternatives for youth it has identified as the highest risk with case management and positive programming to transition youth away from gangs, the juvenile justice system, and negative peer involvement into positive programs.
2. Continue to offer GED classes, employment programs, and stipends to youth identified and referred by the Worcester PD.
3. Expand GED programs to include a class for youth testing below a 7th grade level.
4. Institute a Father�s Support Group to help support young men with children.
5. Recruit employers, identify types of pre-employment training that will be valuable for youth and employers, and identify barriers high-risk youth.
Worcester PD has made approximately 2,000 home visits each year to probationers, arrested 10 violators, and identified 40 previously unknown gang members.
Worcester PD's summer camp program works with 300 youth from diverse and isolated parts of the city for a 3-week program to provide gang prevention/intervention and help bring down barriers between youth and between youth and the police.
Worcester PD addressed 2,000 6th graders to inform them about what gangs are, discuss common myths about gangs, and help define resistance skills.
Police/clergy program has increased from two to ten churches and a local neighborhood center (with about 350 youth participants) to reach, assist, and refer youth that have been affected or influenced by substance abuse or crime.
Identified service gaps for GED program for youth testing below a 7th grade level which gave rise to a new GED class.