Successful Collaborative Programs: Improving the Criminal Justice System. Successful Collaborative Programs: Improving the Criminal Justice System Results From State and Local Program Workshops Sponsored by the State Reporting and Evaluation Program Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs U.S. Department of Justice May 1995 Prepared by the Justice Research and Statistics Association 444 North Capital Street, N.W. Suite 445 Washington, DC 20001 (202) 624-8560 Acknowledgements This report ia a product of a cooperative effort by the States and the Bureau of Justice Assistance as part of the State Reporting and Evaluation Program, which is coordinated by the Justice Research and Statistics Association. The staffs of the Office of Program Assessment and Support and the Memphis Police Department contributed to the coordination and implementation of the workshop that is discussed in this publication. A special thanks to Charles W. Burson, Attorney General of the State of Tennessee; Jim Rout, Mayor of Shelby County, Tennessee; and Walter Winfrey, Director of Police Services for the Memphis Police Department for delivering their welcoming addresses. Special acknowledgement is made to the outstanding moderators of the working meeting: Kim English, Director, Office of Research and Statistics, Colorado Division of Criminal Justice, and Alison Perkins, Program Manager, State and Local Assistance Division, Bureau of Justice Assistance. Important contributions to the success of the meeting were made by Janice Ford Griffin, Deputy Director, JOIN TOGETHER, Boston, Massachusetts. The State Reporting and Evaluation Program relies on the expertise of the States to insure the success of workshops and publications. The following individuals contributed their knowledge and time to make this workshop and publication a success: Todd Brighton, Program Specialist, State and Local Assistance Division, Bureau of Justice Assistance; Jill Kateman, Program Analyst, Evaluation and Technical Assistance Division, Bureau of Justice Assistance; Ruth Cardella, Consultant; and Serena Fisher, Consultant. The Justice Research and Statistics Association prepared this document under the direction of Joan C. Weiss, Executive Director. The following JRSA staff compiled and edited the information for this report under the supervision of Assistant Director for Special Projects Kellie J. Dressler: Andrea G. Richards, Program Assistant; Andr‚a Tisi, Program Assistant; Elizabeth Schrage, Intern; and Ann Mulcahy, Intern. Table of Contents Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Perspectives on Collaboration and Improving the Criminal Justice System 3 JOIN TOGETHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 The "Three C's" of Crime Prevention Programs. . . . . . . . . . . 7 State and Local Programs: Focus on Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Maine: The Partnership Between the University of Maine and Law Enforcement Agencies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 North Dakota: State's Attorney Management System (SAMS). . . . . 15 Successful Collaborative State and Local Programs . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Alaska: Community Problem Solving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Arkansas: Supervised Treatment and Education Program (STEP) Court 29 California: Operation Revitalization (WEED & SEED) . . . . . . . 34 Colorado: Broomfield Police Department Senior Liaison Program. . 42 Florida: S.A.F.E. Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Kansas: Hiawathans Offering Positive Environments (HOPE) . . . . 53 Louisiana: CODE 6: A Collaborative Effort To Fight Violent Crime 59 Massachusetts: Triad and Community Policing: The Massachusetts Model 64 Missouri: Jackson County Drug Abatement Response Team (DART) . . 71 New Jersey: Police Community Partnership Program . . . . . . . . 77 Oregon: Family Violence Intervention Steering Committee. . . . . 82 Pennsylvania: Domestic Abuse Response Team (D.A.R.T.). . . . . . 89 Puerto Rico: Minors Diversion Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 South Carolina: Fairfield County Sheriff's Success Academy . . . 99 Tennessee: Weed & Seed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Tennessee: West Tennessee Regional Drug Prosecution Unit (RDPU).110 Texas: Safe Haven Program: Operation Weed & Seed. . . . . . . .114 Workshop Participants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 Introduction This publication reports the results of the Bureau of Justice Assistance State Reporting and Evaluation Program State and Local Programs Working Meeting: Successful Collaborative Programs: Improving the Criminal Justice System held February 20-22, 1995 in Memphis, Tennessee. This meeting brought together over 50 State planners and local practitioners as well as researchers, analysts, and law enforcement officers from 16 states who have previously been or currently are involved in implementing and/or evaluating programs designed to improve the criminal justice system through successful collaborations. This publication identifies and documents programs that focus on the successful collaboration between agencies to improve the criminal justice system at the State and local levels. The first section of the publication presents perspectives from two national experts. The second section of the publication presents two process-oriented program presentations, and the final section documents the State and local programs that were presented at the workshop. Perspectives on Collaboration and Improving the Criminal Justice System JOIN TOGETHER Janice Ford Griffin is the Deputy Director of JOIN TOGETHER, a non-profit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts that serves as a national resource for communities fighting substance abuse. JOIN TOGETHER is committed to assisting communities in the development and implementation of comprehensive, inclusive strategies to address substance abuse and its related problems. Comprehensive long-range strategies include prevention, treatment, law enforcement, and economic development. Substance abuse is a complex problem that has resulted in community elements blaming each other. Community segments must develop new alliances and seek creative ways to address the substance abuse-related problems of the 90's. Community-wide strategies must include neighborhood groups, clergy, schools, parents, law enforcement, health and social service providers, businesses, media, government, and others. People support what they help create. Strategies created by a few will not be supported by many. Successful strategies embrace the concept of "doing with, not doing for." Comprehensive, collective strategies will address community priorities, as opposed to sophisticated theoretical models. All communities have macro issues that are easily determined by consensus. Micro issues are neighborhood specific and must be addressed simultaneously to ensure that everyone can take ownership of the effort. "We have to come to some mixture of addressing the macro and micro issues. There are four areas that can help to do that. (1) Does the program, neighborhood, and city have knowledge and activity that can help to prevent drug use? (2) Is quality, appropriate, treatment accessible in the neighborhood and also for the city at-large? (3) Does the program help to eliminate drug trafficking and provide safety for families? (4) Is the program known to the business community? Does the business community support it? Are they willing to create jobs to make the area one that is 'jobs friendly'?" A flexible, dynamic interplay of leadership is necessary to implement and maintain the variety of strategies that are required by the complexity of substance abuse-related issues. "When you involve people who are part of city government, they can help point the way for new relationships that can come out of these activities and relationships that will yield a benefit for everyone." Some important collaborators in local government include: health departments for treatment components; parks and recreation for youth activities; personnel/human relations for the dissemination of information to adults; public works for code violations incident to trafficking; and the police for public safety. Some problems associated with evaluation include: objectives inconsistent with the community's priorities; community residents untrained for employment in evaluation processes; culturally insensitive and inappropriate evaluation methods; and evaluation methods designed with funders' objectives, which tend to reflect their perspectives. "Train community people to be involved in evaluation. If you can in some way train some of the people in the community to help do evaluation...they develop a skill, and you are using people who can get information that (would)...not be given to you." The "ultimate evaluation is in job growth, job-friendly environment(s), and (during)...elections." Communications and media include information sharing among community partners, as well as the transmission of newsworthy information through news and popular media. Newsletters, community bulletin boards, and radio talk shows are vehicles to help inform the community of opportunities to participate in community strategies. Editorial board meetings, op-ed articles, and letters to the editor should be integral pieces of an overall strategy to inform and to advocate various issues. "Hold the media accountable for your programs." The journalistic credo, "if it bleeds, it leads," is as much an impediment to success in changing some neighborhoods as are more direct and obvious problems. Elected officials are most accountable when there are continuing relationships and responsibilities around the community's issues. Testimony before local government councils, State legislative panels, and Congressional panels should be objectives for participants in community initiatives. Community groups should request elected officials to assign staff members to follow specific issues and to provide breaking information and funding opportunities quickly and regularly. It assures that the officials' staffs are knowledgeable about those issues, improves the ability of the staff to represent the issues, and dramatically increases the promptness with which information reaches constituents. "Collaboration is what is absolutely necessary in order to make a change." Community groups should be aware of groups with which to collaborate: YMCA/YWCA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Chambers of Commerce, Private Industry Councils, Community Colleges, Cable TV Access Stations, Fighting Back Projects, CSAP Community Partnerships, National Family Partnerships, Empowerment Zones/Enterprise Communities, HUD Drug Elimination in Public Housing, Job Training Partnership Act Programs, Americorps, and many others. Finally, there is a continuing challenge to be creative and developmental. "You have to be developmental in what you do. The wheel has to be modernized. If you don't want something to wear out, you have to do something developmental so that it doesn't wear out. There has to be constant change, updating, and development." Strategies must be continuously reexamined and refined. The world is constantly changing, and successful programs will often be one step ahead of the change. "As the name (of my organization) implies...we are going to have to join together in order to make strides against the difficult problems that confront us. We have to all come around the table." The "Three C's" of Crime Prevention Programs Charles W. Burson is the Attorney General for the State of Tennessee. Attorney General Burson emphasizes that the focus of the workshop is on local programs tailored to the specific problems of their communities, not on established national models. The programs have three themes or the "Three C's." The first of these is community where the problems and the opportunities to solve them exist. The second is the connection between the people in the community and the support and enforcement resources. The final theme is the collaboration among cities, counties, State enforcement agencies, and Federal government enforcement agencies. The Bureau of Justice Assistance's Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Formula Grant Program gives financial assistance to the states and local communities, and they are ready to accept these grants to initiate productive and successful efforts to combat drug abuse and violence in their communities. The Tennessee Office of Program Assessment and Support and corresponding offices in each state are important to these crime-fighting efforts. A collaborative effort is necessary to fight drug abuse and violence, and this is made possible through local, State, community, and financial leadership. Fighting violent crime and drug abuse is the number one agenda of States' Attorney Generals. The problems of drug abuse and violent crime are so large, where is the national solution or model to solve them? This workshop looks at what is working in local communities, and assessments show that there is local success. Crime must be fought on the level at which it occurs. There is no national or State crime. Crime is present in the streets, households, and neighborhoods of all local communities. State and Local Programs: Focus on Process Maine The Partnership Between the University of Maine and Law Enforcement Agencies Statement of the Problem Community policing is receiving increased attention and visibility on the national, State, and local levels. However, it is a topic and process subject to misinterpretation and uncertainty. While many people equate community policing with simply "putting police back on the beat," it is actually a complex reorganization of policing priorities, relationships with citizens and elected officials, and formal and informal relationships with other public and nonprofit agencies serving the human and social needs of citizens. While numerous Maine jurisdictions have become interested in implementing community policing, there is a dearth of information and assistance available to them. Similarly, some opportunities for training in implementing community policing exist in Maine, but they are not widely known and are frequently unavailable to smaller jurisdictions without significant resources. This is particularly true of the needs assessment phase of implementing community policing. Conducting a survey of citizen perceptions and priorities is a crucial component of community policing. However, successfully fielding a survey of citizens which will produce a valid, reliable response is a complex task requiring knowledge and experience in social science survey methodology, including instrument preparation, sampling, and analysis. These skills are frequently unavailable to law enforcement officials in jurisdictions interested in instituting community policing. Goals and Objectives The primary goals of the State of Maine collaboration are (1) to provide technical assistance to local law enforcement agencies for implementing community policing and (2) to facilitate communication between citizens and law enforcement agencies. This is one of the goals because according to David Giampetruzzi, coordinator of the overall project, "the alliance between community residents and police (is) essential to making neighborhoods safe and drug free." To achieve those goals, the University of Maine - Law Enforcement partnership has established the following objectives: provide citizen input for community policing needs assessments; provide graduate public administration students a setting for applied research; foster closer partnerships between local government officials and law enforcement agencies; and develop a statewide survey tool for planning community policing initiatives. Process Components The principle investigator and project director is Dr. Jean Lavigne, Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate Programs in Public Administration at the University of Maine, Orono. Dr. Lavigne is responsible for coordinating and overseeing each phase of the project. The co- principle investigator is Dr. Anthony Cahill, Associate Professor of Public Administration. Dr. Cahill provides assistance in survey and interview protocol design and administration and will work on the other phases of the project as necessary. Dr. Carolyn Ball is a consultant on the statistical analyses and also meets with local law enforcement officials in the planning stages. The principle investigators will be assisted by graduate students assigned to the project. The local government contact is generally the Chief of Police or the Sheriff. Often town/city managers and members of the town/city council are involved in the planning stages. During the first phase of this partnership, from January 1993 through June 1994, two major tasks were undertaken. First, a valid, reliable instrument was constructed which would measure citizensū attitudes and priorities towards law enforcement and crime and which could be used in multiple communities. The second task was to administer and analyze the survey in five Maine communities and prepare reports for law enforcement and municipal officials in each of the communities. The specific elements involved were: to design a survey instrument and interview protocol for use in conducting community policing needs assessment; to identify the sampling frame to be used; to prepare analytic routines and code, enter, verify, and analyze the data from completed surveys; to publicize the project in the community; and to prepare and present oral and written reports for the community. The graduate students in the Department of Public Administration provide data entry of surveys, analyze data which is overseen by faculty members, and provide a complete report of the findings. Results and Impact Performance Measures The expected results and performance measures were divided into three categories: community, law enforcement, and public administration students. For the community, program administrators hoped to publicize local law enforcement community policing initiatives, provide three news releases, survey the community, target a response rate between 20 to 40 percent, and facilitate communication between local government management and law enforcement planning. For law enforcement, the goal was to discover citizens' perceptions of law enforcement officials. For public administration students, the goals were to modify the survey for each community within two weeks of the initial community meeting, develop research and presentation skills, develop an understanding of local government and law enforcement relationships, and process the survey within six weeks, including data entry, data analyses, and preparation of the report. Implementation Problems and Successes Local law enforcement officials have been very satisfied with the survey reports. Implementation has been smooth. The problem area has been coordination between informing the news media and the timing of the mailing of the surveys. This has been resolved in a speedy manner. Successes and Accomplishments The project has successfully completed surveys for approximately 10% of the total population of the State of Maine. By June 30, 1995 it will have completed community policing surveys for 15 local governments and one county. One of the clear advantages of this partnership has been the ability to collect common perceptions of citizens across the State. Prior to this endeavor, local communities prepared their own surveys. However, many had no ability to compare across communities. The survey has provided for the State of Maine to use its scarce resources most efficiently in targeting community policing initiatives. Prospects for Replication The prospects for replication are very good especially for States with a close association between universities and communities. The Department of Public Administration of the University of Maine has been able to offer its students "real" research opportunities in a local government setting. The law enforcement agencies can benefit from the university faculty expertise in research design. The support of the Maine Justice Assistance Council was instrumental in nurturing the program, and the State has benefited from the collaborative agreement. Contact Information Jean Lavigne, Ph.D. Director, Graduate Programs University of Maine, Orono 5754 North Stevens Orono, ME 04469 (207) 581-1877 (207) 581-3039 fax David Giampetruzzi Grant Program Administrator Maine Criminal Justice Agency 93 Silver Street Waterville, ME 04901 (207) 877-8016 (207) 877-8027 fax North Dakota State's Attorney Management System (SAMS) Statement of the Problem North Dakota is one of the few states where county prosecutors have been assigned the responsibility of reporting dispositions to maintain the Criminal History Records System (CHRS) managed by the State Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). There is an elected State's Attorney in each of North Dakota's 53 counties; 12 State's Attorneys work full-time with offices located in the courthouse, and the remaining 41 are private attorneys who perform the prosecutor duties on a part-time basis. Prior to this project, few State's Attorneys used prosecution management software or computer technology. The lack of automation has made completion of vital criminal history records time consuming, inefficient, and difficult to track for completion. The BCI and the North Dakota Association of Counties' computer arm, the North Dakota Cooperative for Automation and Technology (NDCAT), came together to bring a State's Attorney Management System (SAMS) to counties. Using multiple sources, much of the SAMS project was funded by Federal grants. The standardized format of the data will allow completion of the final phase of the SAMS project, electronic transfer of the data to the CHRS. Goals and Objectives The goal of the SAMS project is to implement a uniform case management system to reduce the overall cost of maintenance and support to counties and, through automation of the county State's Attorneys' offices, to develop a consistent, timely, and efficient manner of reporting disposition information to maintain the CHRS in North Dakota. Phase One identified the data elements and the information to be shared with other criminal justice agencies and chose the technology it will use. The second phase involves development and implementation of the software and training for SAMS users. The final phase will see the electronic transfer of disposition data from all 53 county State's Attorneys' offices to the CHRS residing on the State's mainframe at the Information Services Division (ISD). The project objectives include: gaining a thorough understanding of the data needs of the various justice agencies and how they can share data elements; choosing a software package for prosecution case management and identifying the hardware platform; identifying the automation needs in the State's Attorneys' offices and coordinating their needs with the existing technology in the courthouse; facilitating the acquisition and installation of the equipment; identifying all training needs; connecting to North Dakota's Wide Area Network to access the CHRS and driving records abstracts at the State Department of Transportation; and making it possible for the State's Attorneys to share information with other agencies and electronically transfer data to the CHRS. Program Components The first phase of the SAMS project began in 1992 and was funded by a grant administered by NDCAT from the Edward Byrne Memorial Grant Program. A Justice and Public Safety user group was formed including representatives from the State's Attorneys' offices, Sheriff's Departments, courts, State justice agencies, BCI, and the Supreme Court. They began identifying the data elements and information areas that can be shared among criminal justice agencies to improve the efficiency of the flow of information from arrest through disposition. The Supreme Court had already developed and distributed a courts package for IBM's mid- range platform, the AS/400. BCI had developed the Jail Administration and Booking System (JABS), a PC-based jail management program used by Sheriff's Departments. Until then, the link between them had been untouched by automation. Representatives from the user group, along with other State's Attorneys, began to look at commercial software for prosecution case management. They also discovered the AS/400 was the platform of choice because the courts were using it and over half the counties already had access to an AS/400. Funding sources were investigated, but it appeared the commercial software was cost prohibitive for many counties. BCI recognized the need to automate the link between the Sheriff's Department and the courts and the importance of linking the State's Attorneys' offices to the CHRS. They offered to use a portion of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) grant received for criminal history record improvement to write the prosecution case management software. The second phase of the SAMS project began by forming a State's Attorney Information System Work Group to develop the SAMS software application. This group was made up of State's Attorneys and staff from State's Attorneys' offices, courts, BCI, and NDCAT. It was funded by the BJS criminal history record improvement grant. Initial implementation of the SAMS software included automation of the full-time State's Attorneys' offices, which were chosen because they handle about 80% of the cases in North Dakota. Also, their physical location in the courthouse meant they had access to the AS/400. These counties also house the district judge chambers, so the group considered the potential for sharing information with the courts. A part-time State's Attorney site was also chosen to test remote access. Results and Impact Performance Measures Eleven full-time offices and one part-time office were automated in 1994-95, with much of the funding for hardware and training coming from the Edward Byrne Grant Program. Two sites were funded by a Federal Criminal History Grant through BCI. The Byrne grant will fund the continuation of phase two in 1995 by automating five additional remote part-time State's Attorneys' offices. The remote sites needing to use communications to access the AS/400 will have access to the State's Wide Area Network (WAN). While each courthouse has a direct connection to the North Dakota Information Network (NDIN), ISD is currently upgrading NDIN to include dial-up access to the network. Scheduled for completion by June 1995, access to NDIN will give all State's Attorneys' offices the capability to receive data from the CHRS and the driving records abstracts at the State Department of Transportation. The 1993 legislature adopted two resolutions important to the SAMS project. The first directed the Legislative Council to "...study means of gathering data on the sentencing of all persons convicted of a felony offense and all persons convicted of a misdemeanor in violation of North Dakota Century Code Chapters 12.1-17. 12.1-20, and 14-07.1." This section deals with assault, sex offenses, and domestic violence. The second resolution asked the Council to "...study the present methods of collecting data within the criminal justice and quasi-criminal civil systems in this and other states, and the desirability of implementing a system-wide data collection process in North Dakota." The findings and recommendations were to be reported to the 1995 legislature. These resolutions led to the creation of a Criminal Justice Data Forum, which included representatives of law enforcement agencies, prosecution, courts, corrections, human services agencies, news media, computer services, local governmental entities, and others. For more than a year this forum examined criminal justice data issues and identified gaps in available data. The significance of this project is demonstrated by the importance the legislature is placing on statewide information systems. Implementation Problems and Successes Two stumbling blocks were choosing the software application and the hardware platform. Constant changes in technology remain a challenge as this project continues. Also, the lack of technical expertise and support staff in the counties remains a concern to the project's overall success. One solution to this problem is extensive training of the existing staff. Another solution is to hire a person or group of people to serve as travelling trainers and problem solvers. One problem with the system was in its implementation. The decision makers for the program were States' Attorneys and other elected officials. Their support staffs were not involved in any decision making. This approach was inappropriate because the support staff, who work with the system, are finding it difficult to work with because they were not part of the planning process, and the decision makers who were part of the planning process are not overly enthusiastic about using the new system. The decision makers need to impart to the support staff the need to work with the system. Even though disposition data is reported to the BCI by State's Attorneys' offices, the interfacing of SAMS and the courts' computer system is a logical and efficient exchange of data between prosecutors and courts. By assigning responsibility for disposition reporting to State's Attorneys rather than to the courts, the State has relieved the courts of that burden but has also reduced the long-term benefits to the courts. There is residual information accompanying disposition data that would be helpful to the courts if it were readily available, but it is not presently a function of the CHRS. The courts, however, should not have to rely on the criminal history record system for information on their own activities. Successes and Accomplishments At this time, 11 of the 12 full-time State's Attorneys' offices are automated. The pilot site for a remote location has also been successful. The State's Attorney is remotely accessing the SAMS software on the AS/400 in the courthouse. All of the sites have received training on the SAMS application and Office Vision/400, the AS/400 word processing package used as the editor for SAMS. The lack of Management Information Systems staff in the counties prompted the inclusion of AS/400 system operations training in the project. NDCAT continues to support the project through project administration and technical support. A help desk has been established to answer technical questions (e.g., backing up the system, communication problems, and printing problems). BCI continues to support the project by providing the application training and maintenance of the SAMS software. BCI submitted a grant application to the National Criminal History Improvement Program, which focuses primarily on integrating or interfacing information systems already in place or being developed/proposed with the CHRS. Funding for the continuation of the SAMS installations is included in the grant request. Prospects for Replication According to Leana Jacobsen, Technical Coordinator of NDCAT, "Although North Dakota is one of only a few states where prosecutors are required to report dispositions for criminal history maintenance, many of the concepts of this project are suitable for replication." The relationship between NDCAT and the BCI enabled several related projects to be accomplished by State and local government working together. Because of these collaborative efforts, the opportunity existed to capitalize on available funding sources. Contact Information Leana Jacobsen Technical Coordinator North Dakota Cooperative for Automation and Technology (NDCAT) P.O. Box 417 Bismarck, ND 58502 (701) 258-4481 (701) 258-2469 fax Successful Collaborative State and Local Programs Alaska Community Problem Solving Statement of the Problem The State of Alaska consists of 586,412 square miles with 10,686 miles of coastline. There are only 5,612 total roadway miles of which approximately half are currently hard surfaced. The population of the State is 599,200 with 60% of the people living in the urban areas of Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. The remaining 239,680 people reside in the vast rural area of the State. In this area there are over 225 native villages ranging in population from less than 100 to nearly one thousand, which require public safety services. These are villages where there are little or no medical, educational, police, or social services professionals. These isolated communities are only accessible by air or water transportation, and reaching them can be delayed as a result of adverse weather and runway conditions. Over the past five years the Department of Public Safety, Division of Troopers has had an average of 258 commissioned Troopers to provide public safety services for the entire State. In the early 1980's, as a solution to the disproportionately higher rate of crime and accidental deaths in the villages in comparison to the urban communities, the Alaska State Troopers introduced the Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) program into rural villages. The program was designed to train and employ individuals residing in the villages to provide initial response to public safety emergencies in the areas of law enforcement, medical assistance, search and rescue, and fire protection. The number of VPSOs and villages where the program was established has fluctuated from year to year as a result of changes in the funding from the State legislature. An average of 94 officers have handled almost 10,000 calls for service each year. The presence of these officers has had a significant impact on improving the quality of life in the participating villages. During the same period, in response to a decline in health and safety attributed to the widespread abuse of alcohol in these remote villages, State legislation was passed which allowed local communities to determine the level of restriction desired on the sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol. These are known as "Local Option" laws. In villages which chose to control or totally ban alcohol, for a period of time the quality of life improved. As a result of the "Local Option" laws and the Village Public Safety Officers, there are less violent crimes, domestic violence, accidental deaths, fire related deaths, and drownings. As time passed, alcohol bootlegging became a common practice, and with the increasing importation of illegal drugs to these remote villages it was apparent that law enforcement alone could not solve the quality of life problems. Again, violent crime and domestic violence associated with alcohol and drug abuse were on the rise. The people residing in these remote villages became increasingly frustrated with the rising crime. As frustrations grew over law enforcement's failure to provide a solution, village leaders increasingly voiced their dissatisfaction with State government. It became clear that the villages needed to create and maintain community interest in identifying local problems and finding solutions in a partnership with VPSOs and the Troopers. Consequently, in April 1993, initial steps were taken by Troopers assigned to the western Alaska Post and the Western Area Narcotics Team to establish a program which is referred to as "Community Problem Solving." Goals and Objectives The primary goal of the Community Problem Solving program is to reduce alcohol and drug abuse and the resulting criminal activity and loss of life associated with this abuse. Additionally, a goal of the program is to enhance the relationship between the village leaders, the Village Public Safety Officers, and the State Troopers. The objectives designed to accomplish these goals include the following: encourage village members to identify the needs of the village; encourage village members to establish corrective actions; encourage village members to implement change which is centered on a combination of cultural beliefs and criminal justice resources; identify ways in which the village members can work in partnership with the VPSOs and the Troopers to implement actions to accomplish their plans; test this program effort in four villages; and develop a model process that could be applied to other villages with an interest in making social change and in having a significant role in resolving conflict in their villages. Program Components Initially, a planning group was formed to develop the concept of community problem solving. The group was made up of village leaders, Village Public Safety Officers, State Troopers, State court system personnel, and rural health care and social service providers, as well as youth and school groups. The State Trooper assigned oversight duty for the Village Public Safety Officers was tasked with generating public interest in meetings held in each community, establishing voluntary participation by village leaders, and securing a formal invitation to the State Troopers from the village governing body for assistance in the implementation of the program. One of the Alaska State Troopers involved with the program, Lieutenant Al Schadle, said that basically, "We went into these villages and got the communities excited and got them identifying their own problems, (and) got them taking action." Additionally, the oversight Trooper was responsible for continued follow-up activities with each village to maintain continuous community support, identify law enforcement needs, and assess program results. Village community problem solving committees, which include various village representatives, were established at each site selection. Results and Impact Performance Measures Each month, Troopers and VPSOs hold meetings with village committees to review the accomplishments, obtain subjective feedback on specific program efforts, and monitor the impact on problems related to alcohol and drug abuse. Each quarter, the request for service reports are reviewed by the Troopers to assess the Village Public Safety Officers' activity. The oversight Trooper reports monthly as to the effectiveness of the alcohol and drug interdiction efforts and the efforts made to expand training in interdiction skills for VPSOs and outpost Troopers. Annually, statistics for the numbers and types of requests for service will be compared to the same data before implementation of the Community Problem Solving program. The same comparison will be made of the death records in the villages. Implementation Problems and Successes There were numerous problems encountered during the initiation of this program. The proximity of villages which voted to completely restrict alcohol, "dry villages," to that of neighboring villages with no alcohol restriction caused some friction between the communities. Also, this created an easy means of access to alcohol for those individuals who were unwilling to abide by the alcohol restrictions in their village. Meetings were organized between villages to air concerns and combat this problem. Each community problem solving committee is made up of representatives of the various leadership groups from each village. Due to power struggles among these groups and the different views on important issues such as sovereignty, subsistence hunting and fishing rights, and tribal courts, considerable time and effort was necessary on the part of the oversight Trooper to keep the committee focused on alcohol and drug abuse issues and the negative impact each was having on the village. There have been occasions when committee members and village leaders have been intimidated by village residents who have enjoyed financial gain from illegal drug and alcohol activities. At these times, the community's cooperative efforts with the State Troopers have been undermined. In these situations, the Troopers target the individuals and monitor them closely. The Troopers also do "knock and talks" with the suspected bootleggers to attempt to dissuade them from these illegal activities. In support of the efforts being made by village members, follow-up from the oversight Trooper has not always been timely. Since the Troopers assigned to the western region are located in larger hub communities, access to the villages has often been limited by weather, aircraft availability, and remote runway conditions. The leaders of the villages are usually the elders, who speak little or no English. As a result, translators are often required in order to avoid misinterpretation of information and intent. Additionally, many concepts captured in English words do not easily translate to the native languages. Another problem was the initial high turnover rate of VPSOs. This was due in part to cultural issues concerning one individual having authority over others. This was solved by turning to new individuals or by going outside of the village to hire a VPSO. In addition, in communities where the VPSO turnover rate is high due to his/her dismissal by the village council, no replacement is provided if there is no legitimate cause for dismissal, and the community is positioned at the bottom of the waiting list to receive another VPSO. There has been significant resistance on the part of some Troopers assigned to the region to support the program, which they have viewed as a social services effort rather than law enforcement. This problem was solved through a mandatory cultural awareness course provided by the University of Alaska, and by assigning each Trooper a set of villages for which he is responsible so that he will take ownership of the program. Successes and Accomplishments There has been a measurable reduction in alcohol and drug-related problems in the four villages where the Community Problem Solving program has been introduced. Participating villages, which once resented Trooper presence, are now working with the Troopers to address local issues involving public safety. The Troopers are beginning to feel a sense of appreciation for their efforts, which are directed toward a common goal with village members. With these initial results, resistance to the program efforts on the part of some Troopers assigned in western Alaska has appeared to have declined. For the first year of the Community Problem Solving program, a comparison of the number of requests for Trooper service in the pilot villages was compared to the number of requests in the prior year. There was a 37.5% increase in the number of requests. The number of calls involving the report of information about individuals illegally importing and selling alcohol or drugs rose significantly over the previous twelve months. These increases indicate that village residents are addressing the problem of illegal drug and alcohol activity by requesting assistance. In the year prior to the implementation of the Community Problem Solving program, the four pilot villages had three accidental deaths directly related to the use of illegal alcohol. During the 12 months the Community Problem Solving program has been active in these villages, there have been no such accidental deaths. Community leaders, school teachers, and individual residents have testified as to the positive changes they have observed in their villages. They cited this program as having created a unified cause with the villages. There has been an increase in the interaction between leadership groups, youth and elders, public service providers, and school and church groups. Apathy has been replaced by community action and volunteering. Lieutenant Schadle of the Alaska State Troopers has said that "People that had tremendous apathy are now getting involved and saying 'we want to do something as a community.'" In Toksook Bay, students designed a sign to be placed at the village airport declaring the village alcohol and drug-free. The school principal described noticeable improvement in overall student behavior which he attributed to the youth involvement in addressing community problems. In the village of Mekoryuk, the elders formed a group to meet with the village youth to pass on village history and knowledge of their culture and traditions. During the winter months, the leaders organized safety patrols, which included the village's young leaders, to check for intoxicated individuals and take them home or to the clinic. A tri-council reprimand board was established to address misconduct and to stimulate behavioral changes. The village leaders and councils wrote letters placing all air carriers on notice that their village was drug and alcohol-free and that the carriers should not be involved or allow their aircraft to transport any alcohol or drugs into their village. Additionally, the community notified individuals known to be involved in illegal bootlegging activities that such activity would no longer be tolerated. This allowed these individuals the opportunity to stop their illegal activity before the village took action to stop it. Such actions included patrolling the known routes of the bootlegger with volunteer snow machine patrols, watching the airports for these individuals, and notifying the VPSO or State Troopers of any continued activities. The ability of these four villages to take self-initiated action at determining the well being of their community has been infectious in the region and has confirmed that village residents can take responsibility for establishing accepted behavior in the spirit of self-determination. More villages are seeking out the State Troopers for assistance in the development of a community problem solving concept in their village. Other village leaders are asking the leaders from the pilot villages to attend council meetings and describe how this program is working for their villages. Prospects for Replication The prospects for replicating this program are excellent. However, a consensus on the part of the village to commit to the program is necessary. In the State of Alaska it was necessary for the community individuals to reach a level of intolerance that invoked the desire for change in those things which were adversely affecting their well being. The agency organizing the community problem solving program must be able to commit the manpower needed to maintain regular contacts with the various groups and committees. The agency should also develop methods for evaluating the program's ongoing implementation and effectiveness so that modifications to the community's problem solving approach can be timely. Contact Information Lieutenant Al Schadle 5700 East Tudor Road Anchorage, AK 99507 (907) 248-1410 (907) 337-2059 fax Arkansas Supervised Treatment and Education Program (STEP) Court Statement of the Problem Pulaski County, Arkansas, which includes Little Rock, experienced a substantial increase in drug-related crime during the 1980s and early 1990s. Jack Holt, Jr., Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, has said that drug charges are involved in 15 to 25% of felony cases filed in Arkansas. Several other judges contend that the percentage of drug-related cases may be as high as 75%. According to detectives with the Little Rock Police Department, Little Rock's burglary rate increased 40% in the first quarter of 1994 over 1993, an increase they attribute to career burglars feeding drug habits. The number of drug-related cases prosecuted in the courts also increased dramatically. In November 1991 Arkansas sent a team to the National Substance Abuse Conference in Washington, DC to learn more about Supervised Treatment and Education Program (STEP) Court programs which had been developed in several cities and counties. As a result of the Washington conference, a detailed plan was drawn up to hold the Arkansas Drug Conference in August 1992. Teams of judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation officers, and treatment providers from almost all of the State's judicial districts participated in the conference. An outstanding program of national and local presenters dealt with issues related to the disposition of drug cases and the treatment of drug abusing offenders. After the Arkansas conference, the teams from each judicial district developed a local action plan designed to meet the particular needs of the local jurisdiction. These plans included the development of educational programs, community corrections programs, and others. The plan for the Sixth Judicial District, which covers Pulaski County, called for the establishment of a "Drug Court" -- STEP Court -- based upon a diversion treatment model. Goals and Objectives The STEP Court's mission is to offer drug criminals intensive treatment within days of arrest. Prior to its implementation, offenders would go without treatment as their cases wound through circuit court, a process which typically took nine months. The overall goal of the program is to treat the offender and to forestall the offender's reentry into the criminal justice system. Objectives of the STEP program include: housing all of the drug court facilities in one building; developing a comprehensive, collaborative program which provides a range of services to drug offenders to help them overcome their addiction; combining a carrot and stick approach in that any participants who fail must go to prison; allowing drug users who lapse the opportunity to reenter the program; setting up a computer system, accessible to all parts of the program, which allows for evaluation; and allowing first-time, nonviolent drug offenders, or felony offenders with serious drug or alcohol problems, to leave the criminal justice system without a record. It also became apparent that a new approach to the sentencing of drug users would help to alleviate overcrowding in prisons and free prison spaces for violent prisoners by diverting nonviolent drug users to treatment and counselling. Program Components The Arkansas STEP Court combines a three-pronged approach to drugs and crime: a justice component, a public health component, and treatment for addicts. This is the only drug court in the country which has managed to house all of these components in the same building. One of the lessons learned from visiting other STEP Court programs is that the strength of the program depends on the personality and commitment of the judge assigned to it. Chief Justice Holt appointed Circuit Judge Jack Lessenberry to be the drug court judge in Pulaski County. Judge Lessenberry was selected because of his demonstrated commitment to community service. The goal was to choose someone who would accept that diversion was not abating the criminal process, but a sensible approach to dealing with drug issues. Judge Lessenberry is a proponent of this view. The STEP Court accepts diversion referrals from all of the municipal courts in Pulaski County, as well as from circuit courts. The STEP Court is an alternative to circuit court for people accused of felony drug crimes. As such, the court's focus is different from that of circuit courts, which do not treat drug addiction. The process works as follows: the offender is arrested, arraigned, and taken directly to the STEP Court. Clients are referred for screening and assessment to the Central Assessment Unit, at which time a decision is made regarding their eligibility for the program. All clients receive an initial substance abuse screening and a health screening. Clients are divided into three groups: (1) individuals who do not appear to have a substance abuse problem or are not motivated to participate in treatment services; (2) individuals who have a moderate substance abuse problem and need less intensive treatment services such as drug education; and (3) individuals who have a serious substance abuse problem and need more intensive treatment services. Individuals in the first category are not recommended for services as part of the STEP Court. The STEP Court order can include any of these three components: ancillary referrals such as vocational and educational training, medical care, liaison services, or alternative housing; treatment; and self-help groups. Many service organizations have come into the STEP Court and have been funded through the Governor's office. Treatment before this was on an ad hoc basis, and most of what existed was residential. Once diverted into the STEP Court program, the defendant signs a waiver to the right to a speedy trial and agrees to participate in the specific treatment program tailored to his or her needs after completion of an evaluation and recommendation from a certified substance abuse counsellor. The treatment component lasts a minimum of one year. Random urinalysis and regular reporting to the court occurs throughout the treatment phase. The initial assessment includes a complete physical examination and special testing for tuberculosis, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and other sexually transmitted diseases. For those participants who complete the program, the State waives any right to file charges based upon the incident leading to the initial arrest. Judge Lessenberry maintains the ability to remove any person from the program, at which point the individual is returned to the referring court and the regular criminal justice process. Results and Impact Implementation Problems and Successes The process to create a STEP Court was begun in 1991, and it did not become operational until September 1994. Locating and purchasing the building took 18 months. Program administrators wanted to be near the Pulaski County Courthouse, and the new building is four blocks away. The STEP Court is a totally self-contained unit, including the court, the meeting rooms, and the treatment rooms. At first, working out the format for getting people into the program was a problem. The prosecutors wanted everyone to plead guilty. They were convinced that it was better to have participants waive the right to a speedy trial but volunteer for the program. Law enforcement and the prosecutors had to be educated. The program has 100 clients now with an anticipated 600 cases. The success rate has been wonderful. Initially, program administrators feared that people without addiction would try to avoid the proper disposition of cases, that the court system would "dump" cases into the STEP Court. This has not occurred. Successes and Accomplishments This is the first attempt in the United States to bring together not only courts and the treatment community, but also public health entities. It successfully diverts drug and alcohol addicts from the criminal justice system. The program works because it is flexible. Participation is voluntary, and if the client fails at the individual and group therapy or violates the terms of his/her agreement with the court, he/she goes to a prison bed for a week. Once the client is sober, he/she is again offered a place in the program. Funds from various sources have made the STEP Court possible. Technical assistance funds have been received from the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. These funds have provided consultants to come to the State to work with court and treatment communities and have allowed Arkansas officials to travel to several sites to review drug courts in other states. The National Center for State Courts has provided the technical assistance to develop a software program which links the court and treatment databases. The State Justice Institute has provided a grant to fund a complete evaluation of the program. The Arkansas Coordinating Council has provided U.S. Department of Justice funds for the cost of the facility and the cost of drug screening. They have also funded the salary of an assistant for the Sixth District prosecuting attorney and public defender. The former Arkansas Adult Probation Commission has provided a case manager to act as a liaison between the court and the treatment providers and to oversee the progress of all clients. The Arkansas Department of Health is providing funds for the treatment services and the salary of the project director, health nurse, and two licensed substance abuse counsellors to staff the Central Assessment Unit. Pulaski County agreed to set aside jail space in the event that bed space is needed for the drug court. A grant from the Arkansas Bar Foundation furnished the courtroom, exterior signs, and a flagpole. A crucial and innovative approach to dealing with drug users is the Central Assessment Unit, which is a component of the STEP Court program. It is beneficial to courts because it provides an additional and effective option for this very large and difficult group of offenders. It provides public health agencies access to very high-risk persons to whom they would not ordinarily have access. It provides the treatment programs with sanctions through the courts, making it more likely that persons will take seriously their commitment to treatment. The program provides a major benefit to Pulaski County by relieving court dockets, freeing up bed space in the jail, diverting low level offenders from the State correctional system, and providing more effective treatment to offenders. Prospects for Replication A Central Assessment Unit could serve not only a drug diversion court, but also many other institutions. Juvenile courts and family courts could utilize the services of professional health and mental health evaluators. There is a good possibility that the Federal government will consider providing block grant funds to establish such a Central Assessment Unit in each judicial district of the State. Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Jack Holt, Jr. has said that "The success of the program depends in part on the strength of the person sitting as judge." A strong personality will virtually ensure the success of the program. Contact Information Chief Justice Jack Holt, Jr. Arkansas Supreme Court C1 US Justice Building 625 Marshall Street Little Rock, AR 72201 (501) 682-6861 (501) 682-6877 fax J.D. Gingerich Director, Administrative Office of the Courts 625 Marshall Street Little Rock, AR 72201 (501) 682-6861 (501) 682-6877 fax California Operation Revitalization (WEED & SEED) Statement of the Problem The Tenderloin is San Franciscoūs most densely populated neighborhood and the area with San Franciscoūs highest crime rate. Drug dealing, drug-related robberies, shootings, and assaults are daily threats to the residents of the Tenderloin, especially the elderly. Gangs involved in drug-trafficking frequently resort to violence in an attempt to control their "turf." The victims of this violence are all too often the residents of the Tenderloin. The Tenderloin suffers from the effects of general physical deterioration and economic decline. This neighborhood, surrounded by major hotels and retail centers, has large numbers of abandoned buildings and vacant store fronts. The streets and sidewalks are filthy, and the street lighting is inadequate. There are many community-based organizations and agencies in the Tenderloin. These agencies draw needy people from other neighborhoods in San Francisco to a community already overwhelmed by the distress of its own residential population. Community-based organizations (CBOs) had been working independently to meet some of the challenges faced by the residents of this neighborhood. By inviting these organizations together to work on Operation Revitalization, the project had a more extensive, immediate, and long-lasting impact on the quality of life in this community. In June 1992, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) implemented a pilot program in the Tenderloin entitled Operation Revitalization (Weed & Seed). The program, funded through the California State Office of Criminal Justice Planning, established a collaborative partnership between local criminal justice agencies and CBOs to develop a comprehensive plan to revitalize this troubled community. Goals and Objectives The overall goals of Weed & Seed were to establish programs and enhance existing activities aimed at assisting local government in the apprehension, prosecution, adjudication, and supervision of drug offenders and to assist local government and CBOs in the cleaning, reclaiming, and revitalization of the Tenderloin. The priority of the weed portion of the program was the control of crime, primarily drug trafficking and the street crime associated with it. The Police Departmentūs efforts in this program were supported by the District Attorneyūs Office, the probation department, and the Victim/Witness Assistance Program. The City Attorney's Office was able to conduct code enforcement proceedings for buildings in the neighborhood and create a program to make sure that buildings were maintained as safe, clean, and habitable residences. The seed programs were created to enhance the educational and organizing efforts for the residents of this community and to improve the physical surroundings of the area. These efforts would enhance the economic viability of the area, encouraging the opening of new businesses, the development of new housing, and improvements in the service delivery systems of all agencies and departments involved in the program. Program Components Weed A component crucial to the success of the enforcement program involved the SFPD Narcotics Unit. The Narcotics Unit provided enhanced enforcement through a "Buy Bust" program as well as increased undercover street operations. The police department determined that a high percentage of calls to their narcotics hotline came from the Tenderloin community. They were able to enhance their enforcement efforts based on calls from the community. The SFPD's community policing philosophy enhanced Operation Revitalization (Weed & Seed). Community police officers from the Tenderloin Task Force developed partnerships with the citizens, merchants, community organizations, and government agencies to identify and solve problems in the area. Officers provided additional foot patrols and bicycle patrols and targeted mobile patrol aimed at violent offenders, repeat offenders, drug-trafficking, and other gang-related criminal activity. The District Attorney provided intensive vertical prosecution at every stage of the investigation and prosecution of cases generated in the weed portion of the program. This prosecution method allows one Assistant District Attorney to follow the case from booking to completion, allowing for more comprehensive case development. The District Attorneyūs Victim/Witness Program, utilizing staff and volunteers, provided crisis intervention, court liaison, resources, and referrals to Tenderloin residents who were victims of crime. They established an intake site in the Tenderloin to better serve the population. The Adult Probation Department designated an officer to provide extensive supervision of 25 probationers living in the Tenderloin. This officer worked as a liaison with the SFPD and the San Francisco Sheriffūs Department to facilitate the enforcement of warrantless search conditions of probation. The officer was assigned to the SFPDūs Tenderloin Task Force office. By working there, he became well known to community groups. These groups helped him enhance service delivery to probationers living in the target area. The City Attorney's Office assisted residents, owners, managers, and neighbors in addressing concerns they raised about poorly maintained buildings. The grant provided this office with the opportunity to work with community organizations to develop a training program for residential hotel operators. This training program is now being used throughout the city of San Francisco. The Assistant City Attorney worked with community organizers who came in contact with buildings where building and fire code violations existed. The San Francisco Sheriff's Department provided a uniformed sergeant, deputy, and a work furlough crew of eight to support the street cleaning and sidewalk sweeping in the neighborhood, assisting the City's Department of Public Works, Street Cleaning Division. The deputy sheriffs provided an additional law enforcement presence which served as a deterrent to criminal activity on the streets. The SFPDūs Drug Education Program for youth was expanded into Galileo High School, a high school attended by students living in the Tenderloin. Volunteer police officers were assigned to the campus as liaisons between the police department, the school administration, and the student population. The officers spoke to classes on crime prevention and drug education and investigated student-related crime issues on and near the campus. Seed The Police Department contracted with San Francisco SAFE, a non-profit crime prevention organization, to implement a comprehensive crime prevention education and community organizing program. SAFE provided crime prevention programs for residential hotels and multiple-unit dwellings in the target area. Trainings were designed specifically for building managers and residents that included building security and personal and property safety. Workshops were provided at organizations serving the senior population for the purpose of introducing safety awareness, street safety, apartment security, and how to avoid scams. Networking with other neighborhood agencies and referrals was accomplished at these presentations. Home and street safety presentations for a special safety program were developed for the children of the Tenderloin. The program included workshops on street and apartment safety. The children were given an opportunity to learn ways to prevent harm, including the harm that can come from those within their community. The North of Market Senior Services Intergenerational Program (IGP) was created to bring senior citizens and youth together to take an active role in Operation Revitalization as part of the seed phase. The IGP is a joint program with the Vietnamese Youth Development Center (VYDC). The programūs aims are to involve seniors in mentoring youth, community service projects, community events, and crime prevention and safety education programs. IGP components enable the seniors and youth of the Tenderloin to build meaningful experiences together. These activities serve the community and help to increase understanding between youth and seniors of many cultures. VYDC expanded its Peer Resource Group Program to become partners in the IGP. The high school students participating in this program were involved in an integrated program of training, community service, and leadership development. They explored teen, senior, and community issues as they worked with the North of Market Senior Services and other participating agencies and departments. The North of Market Planning Coalition (NOMPC) hired a full-time housing organizer and a part-time Southeast Asian community organizer to work with other organizations to revitalize the Tenderloin. Revitalization of the Tenderloin has been the focus of a comprehensive research document produced by NOMPC. This document, "Tenderloin 2000," identifies housing and economic development as cornerstones of neighborhood revitalization. NOMPC will help build resident organizations in buildings throughout the target area. These groups will preserve existing low-cost housing and develop new affordable housing. The State of California Employment Development Department (EDD) assigned an Employment Program Representative to provide a job service program in the Tenderloin. The staff person was given office space at the Vietnamese Youth Development Center. This out-stationed EDD employee recruited clients to participate in the program, and through interviews, assessed their employability, aptitude, abilities, and interests. The program representative then developed job referrals and placement for the client. Referrals to other EDD programs and supportive services were also made. Services were provided to these residents effectively through a phone/computer link so that clients were immediately connected to resources throughout Northern California. Results and Impact Implementation Problems and Successes A challenge faced in working in the Tenderloin is the diversity of the languages spoken there. During the grant period most of SAFEūs presentations were given in several languages. In addition, SAFE was able to have seven of its crime prevention brochures translated during the grant period. Those materials continue to serve the community. SAFE has been successful in contacting persons throughout the community who will translate additional materials as needed. Successes and Accomplishments Weed The Police Departmentūs Narcotics Unit was very successful in reducing narcotic activity in the Tenderloin. The "Buy Bust" program resulted in numerous arrests, and in the last quarter of the grant period, 75% of those arrests were filed for vertical prosecution. Officers from the Narcotics Unit will continue to establish "Buy Bust" programs in the Tenderloin, as well as assist in other major narcotics enforcement efforts. The community policing efforts by the officers from the Tenderloin Task Force were instrumental in coordinating resources to provide comprehensive problem solving strategies. Those strategies included code abatement, safety lectures and workshops, and security surveys. The strategies have become priorities in the ongoing work of the community police officers in the Tenderloin. The drug education program in the high school was so well received that the Police Department has sought funds to expand it. The success of the program can be seen in the way the traditional barriers between the Police Department and the school district have been eliminated. The school district will continue to support this program at Galileo High School. San Franciscoūs Adult Probation Department has been given space at the SFPDūs Tenderloin Task Force Office so that a probation officer can continue to work directly with law enforcement officers in this district in identifying problematic probationers in the community. The City Attorney's Office established a very effective program to address building, health, and fire code violations in the community. Code enforcement efforts successfully improved the conditions in many apartment buildings and residential hotels. A training manual and workshop were developed by city attorneys to provide hotel and apartment management with the tools needed to operate safe, clean, and affordable housing. The resources of the City Attorney's Office are available to law enforcement and have become part of the outreach done as these officers work in their designated beats. The vertical prosecution of narcotics offenders completed by the District Attorney's Office was instrumental in the reduction of narcotics in the Tenderloin. Under this system, cases were followed from arrest through the entire court process by the same Assistant District Attorney. Cases developed in this manner resulted in the conviction of some of the area's most active narcotics dealers. The District Attorneyūs Victim/Witness Program established a site at the YMCA in the heart of the Tenderloin. This site provided crisis intervention, case status, and resource and referral assistance to Tenderloin residents who had been victimized. The office saw an increase in the number of clients from the Tenderloin, and the satellite office has been retained in the YMCA so that the program can continue to provide these services. The San Francisco Sheriffūs Work Furlough Program made a major contribution to the Weed & Seed program and to the Tenderloin community. The revitalization of the Tenderloin can be seen in the extensive efforts of this program to clean the streets, sidewalks, and alleys of the neighborhood. While providing the cleaning service, the Sheriffūs Department was able to serve warrants on many individuals who had left drug treatment programs, work furlough, and work alternative programs. The Departmentūs Work Furlough Program will continue its cleaning efforts in the Tenderloin and will expand them into other troubled areas of the city. Seed SAFE staff shared crime prevention expertise and strategies with hundreds of Tenderloin residents. They participated in workshops in which a variety of providers, both grant-funded and non-grant-funded, gave information about services available throughout the community. Through these workshops and presentations, SAFE was able to provide crime prevention information to a very wide audience. The safety education program through the North of Market Senior Services (NOMSS) was more extensive and included more senior groups in the Tenderloin than have ever been able to be involved. There were multilingual presentations and discussions as well as those in English. The seniors and NOMSS are prepared to strengthen their own advocacy organization to become a more viable voice in community affairs. The youth and seniors who participated in the IGP helped SAFE create crime prevention tips and strategies that directly address the needs of the Tenderloin. The relationships with these two organizations has enabled SAFE to extend crime prevention and community organizing services to previously under-served and highly vulnerable populations. The organization of residents accomplished with the help of the North of Market Planning Coalition was an important element in helping residents advocate for changes in conditions of buildings where they live. It also provided important data for the City Attorneyūs Office when it investigated potential building health, fire, and safety code violations. The relationship between SAFE and NOMPC and the City Attorneyūs Office continues to grow as they work together to improve conditions in individual buildings. The work done on this grant paved the way for many ongoing community revitalization efforts. The Job Service Program of EDD was able to provide a range of services to many residents of the Tenderloin. The location of the out-station, at the VYDC office, was successful because many homeless and unemployed persons come to that building for general services. The Tenderloin out-station created by the EDD/SFPD community collaboration provided direct employment services and acquainted residents with other job-related services and how to access them. In working closely with the NOMPCūs Southeast Asian community organizer, SAFE, the SFPD, and other participating agencies were able to identify crime concerns previously hidden from them. Pedophilia and domestic violence within the Lao and Cambodian communities of the Tenderloin have been an unspoken concern and underreported crime for many years. With the assistance of the NOMPC and other agencies that serve children and families, these areas of crime were addressed through education and law enforcement efforts. SAFE and the SFPD cooperated to develop problem solving frameworks that residents, owners, and business people in the community found vital in their efforts to combat crime. Many community officers assisted at presentations and have continued to offer presentations and crime prevention strategies to groups of residents and business people in the community. The Department of Light, Heat, and Power was given the funds to improve some of the street lighting in the Tenderloin. During the grant period, this department received a private donation from a local bank of $50,000. With this money, lighting engineers were able to replace most of the street light bulbs in the community with brighter, longer lasting ones. This change in lighting has made the neighborhood brighter and safer at night. A small portion of the grant was devoted to sidewalk steam cleaning, which was done by Steamy Solutions, a small owner-operated business. In addition to the hours contracted, this business provided additional hours of donated time. The cleaning significantly improved the neighborhood's appearance. Steamy Solutions has encouraged the development of an ongoing sidewalk cleaning program for the Tenderloin. Prospects for Replication The success of Operation Revitalization (Weed & Seed) was made possible by the collaboration of all the participating agencies and organizations. The people of the neighborhood and the agencies working there understand the value in working together to solve problems and revitalize their neighborhood. "We have broken a lot of barriers working with the program, working much closer with other departments, instead of separately," said Sergeant John Bisordi of the San Francisco Police Department. The people of the Tenderloin have a greater understanding of the role of the Police Department and other facets of the criminal justice system in their community. They also have a deeper understanding of the importance of community action in response to issues, and how effective that action can be when combined with the efforts and support of the Police Department, city agencies, and organizations in their neighborhood. These city departments and agencies know how valuable involving the community can be in making their efforts more successful. Contact Information Sergeant John V. Bisordi Office of The Chief of Police San Francisco Police Department Hall of Justice 850 Bryant Street San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 553-1551 (415) 553-1554 (fax) Suzanne Gautier Crime Prevention Specialist San Francisco SAFE, Inc. Hall of Justice 850 Bryant Street Suite 565 San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 553-1984 (415) 553-1967 (fax) Colorado Broomfield Police Department Senior Liaison Program Statement of the Problem Most police officers agree that situations involving senior citizens are difficult. Officers in the Broomfield Police Department can cite many calls they have handled that left them feeling frustrated and helpless when dealing with senior citizens. All too often, police officers have no resources and no knowledge about where to turn to alleviate the problems that are particular to seniors. These problems may involve health, lack of family support, limited income, illness, death, and victimization. Fear of crime and victimization are principle concerns for senior citizens. Seniors' fear of crime is heightened by their limited resources, fixed incomes, and physical limitations to resist. Sometimes, this fear of victimization limits their lifestyles and mobility. Goals and Objectives The goal of the Broomfield Police Senior Liaison Program is to reduce the fear of crime and enhance the overall quality of life for the senior community of Broomfield, Colorado. The objectives of the program are to: maintain a storefront operation at the Senior Community Center that will improve police/senior relations through direct contact between seniors and police officers; provide a minimum of 12 crime prevention programs for seniors to reduce criminal opportunity and vulnerability; provide direct contact concerning crime awareness to 1,000 seniors through the storefront operation and crime prevention programs; provide a minimum of 24 home security checks for seniors, in conjunction with Operation I.D., during the grant year; provide a Neighborhood Watch Program for seniors and interested citizens as requested, but a minimum of six times per year; publish a quarterly senior newsletter with crime tips and program information, including distribution to 2,550 senior citizens to increase awareness of criminal behavior and inform seniors of available resources; produce six public service announcements for the Senior Liaison Program to be aired on a local cable television station; and conduct follow-up on all police department reports involving senior citizens. Program Components The Broomfield Police Department's mission statement addresses its desire of "enhancing the quality of life for the community and protecting life and property through a wide range of services." With this mission in mind, the goal of the Senior Liaison Program is to enhance the overall quality of life and reduce fear of crime for seniors living in Broomfield. This is achieved through focused services including a storefront operation, educational programs on crime-related topics, and personalized prevention measures. The Senior Liaison Program uses a creative approach to fight criminal opportunity and address a variety of important topics. The Senior Liaison Program was initiated in 1992. The police department assigned a senior liaison officer to expand services with the Community Senior Center. This officer is responsible for coordinating specialized crime prevention programs, services, and reference materials for the senior community. In coordination with Senior Center staff and the Broomfield Police Department, a storefront operation was established at the Center to assist seniors. The Center is a central gathering place for the senior population. Once a week the senior liaison officer is available for approximately four hours at the storefront to discuss crime prevention concerns, suggest preventive measures, or suggest other resources. Examples of topics addressed at the storefront are: fraudulent solicitation; living will scams; driving skills; neighborhood disputes; elder neglect; and personal safety. Individual discussions with seniors or their friends create additional follow-up contacts for the senior liaison officer. The officer raises awareness of criminal opportunity and availability of crime prevention services through the police department. Thomas C. Deland, Chief of Police in Broomfield, says that "the most important thing (in working with seniors) is to have individual contact with the same officer in order to develop their (the seniors') trust," and the seniors look forward to this direct contact with the officer who has opened these lines of communication. The Senior Liaison Program provides crime prevention classes at the Senior Center, senior housing complexes, mobile home parks, and to various service groups. The educational programs cover diverse topics. "Self-Protection" addresses travel safety and personal safety tips; "Home Security" provides home safety and security tips; "Fraud and Con Games" makes seniors aware of fraudulent practices and seniors' vulnerability to such tactics; "When to Hang Up Your Car Keys" addresses warning signs that a senior should stop driving and offers alternative transportation means; "Stop That Thief" points out the importance of community involvement in crime prevention; and "Elder Abuse and Neglect" addresses a very sensitive topic for elders and community members. Although not originally in the program, security at senior dances became important because it was based on a request for service. Seniors attending the monthly social events were being confronted by juveniles and were fearful. Attendance was low at evening events. Senior Center staff requested the assistance of officers to provide security. The Senior Liaison Program responded to this need and provides officers during these events. Since the initiation of the escort service, the Senior Center staff has noted an increased attendance and a feeling of security on the part of the seniors. A quarterly Senior Sentry newsletter is mailed to each senior resident of Broomfield. Information about crime prevention programs, services, and newsworthy crime tips are published. This mass mailing enhances the program's ability to reach isolated seniors and disseminate information as broadly as possible. By working exclusively with the senior population, the Senior Liaison Officer has become an expert in senior issues. The Senior Liaison Officer has become familiar with a variety of available community services and referrals for seniors. Service providers work closely with the Senior Liaison Officer to ensure that seniors' needs are met. For instance, a locksmith has helped to secure homes. Meals on Wheels staff notify the police department of seniors in need, or when they discover something suspicious. In addition, the Senior Liaison Program works in coordination with senior associations such as the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and the Boulder County Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). These groups provide support and resources for senior concerns and problems. Collaboration within the police department also occurs. The Senior Liaison Officer receives every report taken by the department that involves a senior. The report is forwarded to the Liaison Officer to conduct a follow-up. The officer may contact the senior and decide whether he or she is in need of services provided by the police department or by another community agency. Department personnel are trained on the special needs of seniors, including elder abuse and neglect. Results and Impact Performance Measures The success of the Senior Liaison Program can be measured quantitatively and qualitatively. The program's efficiency can be measured in part by the number of seniors served and the number of crime prevention classes conducted. The program's goal for its first year was to contact 1,000 seniors. As of October 1994, over 6,000 senior citizens have been contacted. The Senior Liaison Program supports the Broomfield Police Department's positive community policing approach. Many effects of this type of policing are difficult to quantify, other than through a "feeling" expressed by the seniors who have participated in the program. The primary result of the Senior Liaison Program has been an increase in safety and a decrease in vulnerability through education. Thank you letters to the Senior Liaison Officer show that the seniors are noticing a difference in their lives. Implementation Problems and Successes At first, officers had trouble deciding if the seniors' fears were based on reality. The program has alleviated this problem by having one or two officers who know the seniors and are acquainted with their specific problems. Successes and Accomplishments The number of contacts made represents an outstanding accomplishment for the Senior Liaison Program. As a result, seniors are better protected, are more involved in the community, and have received needed services. Seniors have developed a high level of confidence and trust in officers, and communication between seniors, officers, and community members has increased significantly. Seniors express that they "feel secure," are "happy to know someone is thinking of their safety," and are pleased that they "can talk to the officers." All these positive accolades provide the motivation behind the success of the Broomfield Police Senior Liaison Program. The support from the local Senior Center has been crucial to the success of the program. These efforts have enhanced the overall quality of life for seniors and have reduced fear of crime through focused services such as crime prevention classes. The primary means for contacting the seniors is the storefront operation, and without the cooperation and collaboration from the Senior Center this type of activity would not exist. Three thousand, five hundred and fifty-one seniors have been contacted through the storefront operation alone. The Senior Liaison Officer has evolved from a stranger whom no one would talk with to the primary source of advice for thousands of senior citizens. Thank you letters to the Senior Liaison Officer show that the seniors are noticing a difference in their lives. One thank-you letter expresses a couple's gratitude for the program: We are in our late sixties with a fixed income. It is sometimes difficult to get everything done that needs doing. Your program in helping senior citizens has been a tremendous help. We know we are much safer in our home. To express their gratitude, seniors wanted to "give back" to the community. Several senior groups make quilts and toys to give to crime victims. Over 250 quilts have been donated by seniors to victims. Donating their hand made quilts and toys have been their way of saying "thank you." The Senior Liaison Officer and those helping him have committed themselves to helping needy seniors. Officers have provided lamps, shopped for groceries, and have helped seniors in many other circumstances. The new attitude of the officers can best be expressed by the many examples of officers helping seniors. The Liaison Officer has gone as far as relocating individuals who were living in abject circumstances and had no family assistance. The program has created a better understanding of senior-related issues. Problems that previously would not have been recognized are now being resolved because of the increased level of awareness. The International Association of Chiefs of Police initiated the Webber Seavey Award for Quality in Law Enforcement to recognize innovative and creative police programs. Over two hundred police agencies throughout the world submitted their program information for this competitive award application process. The Broomfield Senior Liaison Program was selected as a semifinalist for this award. The program has increased senior safety and security by providing education to 770 seniors and security checks for 34 seniors. The project's services have been explained to 504 seniors who live in isolated areas. Citizens have reported 260 crimes against seniors. Prospects for Replication The Senior Liaison Program can easily be replicated in any city or rural setting. The success of the Broomfield Police Senior Liaison Program has encouraged other cities and agencies throughout the country to start similar programs for their senior populations. These agencies have requested the technical assistance of the Senior Liaison Officer to develop similar senior programs in their areas. Proactive departments committed to enhancing the quality of life for their communities are seeking innovative programs to accomplish this goal. It has become imperative for police departments to form partnerships with their communities and use all resources available to achieve community wellness. In Broomfield, the Senior Liaison Program is just one way that the department has enlisted other agencies and community members to work together toward common goals. Contact Information Thomas C. Deland Chief of Police Broomfield Police Department One Des Combes Drive P.O. Box 1415 Broomfield, CO 80038-1415 (303) 438-6440 (303) 438-6490 fax Florida S.A.F.E. Program Statement of the Problem Census and economic statistics show a dramatic rise in one-parent families as well as families with two working parents. This has caused an increase in unsupervised children during after- school hours. Research suggests that children need structure and direction during their formative years, and unfortunately these attributes are not available. The "latchkey" child has become more the norm than the exception in today's society. With the rise in "latchkey" children comes the next catch phrase: at-risk. The definition of "at-risk" includes children with one parent and delinquent and/or truant children who are behind grades in school or have had contact with the juvenile justice system. The City of Jacksonville, in conjunction with the Duval County School Board, the Office of the Sheriff, and the Jacksonville Children's Commission has established the Safe, Accessible, Flexible, Enrichment program to combat truancy, juvenile crime, substance abuse, and poor school performance as well as provide a safe haven for "latchkey" children. The target group for the S.A.F.E. Program are children ages ten to fourteen. The program specifically seeks children who lack supervision and/or guidance during the afternoon and evening hours, Monday through Saturday. Goals and Objectives The overall goal of the program is to afford an opportunity for positive early adolescent development by providing a safe haven for latch-key and at-risk children (ages ten to fourteen), while providing educational, cultural, social, and enrichment programs to further enhance their growth into responsible teenagers and young adults. The following objectives have been determined to achieve this goal: increase the number of latchkey children attending the S.A.F.E. Program; pinpoint students who have not been making academic progress or still exhibit unacceptable behavior for special assistance and counselling; increase volunteer and community support of the program; establish business partnerships with the program; increase youth attendance in after-school programs; and change the perception of police officers as antagonists to helpful friends. Program Components Seven sites have been identified as target sites for the S.A.F.E. Program. These sites house the students or are located within high juvenile crime areas. Each site is staffed by one S.A.F.E. "coordinator," four "specialists," and one police officer. The majority of the salaried employees are people holding college degrees (MED, BS, BA, or AA) in areas related to youth. All of the staff have had experience in youth-related programs and are committed to improving the success rates of children, which will result in decreased truancy and school dropouts. Several of them are former teachers who have had training in effective strategies for at-risk youth. Extensive training regarding early adolescent development was provided to all S.A.F.E. employees by faculty members at the University of North Florida and Florida State University. The seven "Community Affairs" Officers are fully sworn police officers, provided by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, who assist in maintaining security, arranging community tours, assisting with children who have behavior problems, and teaching or providing various lectures (anti-drug, kidnap prevention, and conflict resolution). Some of the topics provided in training are: situational leadership, understanding resilient youth, problem solving strategies, characteristics of ten to fourteen year-old youth, value clarification, communication skills, positive role modeling, and conflict and behavior management. The four major components of the program are: Education, Recreation, Enrichment, and Life Coping Skills. Education Every day the students begin by doing their homework. If no homework was assigned, program staff provide exercises in the areas of study that the children are presently working on. The program has educational and computer games that are used as supplements to regular classroom work. Tutors, both paid and volunteer, are used to assist the staff with educational assignments. Recreation In this component the children have different scheduled activities each day. These recreation activities are both individual and team oriented. There are also competitions between S.A.F.E. sites in selected sports. The possibility is being explored of having the local Police Athletic League provide interscholastic competition, or a full slate of sports activities in which the S.A.F.E. Program would compete against other schools and community teams. Enrichment Each site takes up to six field trips per month. These trips are free to all participants who earn the right to take them. A point system is set up in which children earn merits for attendance, behavior, and academic accomplishments which allow them to attend these trips and other S.A.F.E. functions. These trips range from educational trips to historic sites to professional sporting events. S.A.F.E. staff attempt to make these educationally, socially, and culturally enriching. Life coping skills In this component, participants learn many different skills they will need when they are out on their own. The real life simulation allows participants to receive a "wage" and pay "bills," plan their daily lives, plan meals, and live within a budget. There are numerous instructional aids and handouts for this exercise. It also includes instruction on the types of things each adult must be prepared to handle, such as insurance, taxes, credit, and legal issues. There are numerous activities that relate to these components. Workshops available to the students include: culinary arts, drama and fine arts, drug and alcohol abuse, health, life coping skills, interpersonal skills, conflict management, and individual counseling. In addition to specialized workshop sessions, all of the sites have implemented arts, craft, and musical activities including puppets, ceramics, drawing, kites, jewelry, photography, painting, chorus, modern dance, music appreciation, line dancing, karaoke, jazz dancing, and group dancing. As a result of the high percentage of students requesting workshops in the area of "home skills," a wide variety of activities has been implemented at many of the sites, including: employment skills, cooking, food management, time management, domestic skills, landscaping, home safety, manners, grooming, personal hygiene, housekeeping skills, and gardening. One of the most positive aspects of the S.A.F.E. program has been a variety of recreational activities including: basketball, ping pong, volleyball, racquetball, track and field, football, double dutch, swimming, boundball, tennis, karate, boxing, gymnastics, and jogging. The program is completely free to participants and their parents. The monies that support the project come from an allocation from the Mayor's Office, and volunteers play an important role in the program. Every site recruits as many volunteers as possible from parent councils that are being formed at each site. Contracted service people perform a variety of duties from tutoring to teaching ventriloquism, cooking, arts and crafts, and sign language. The Duval County School Board opens their facilities for the program's use at no charge to the program. Certain fees are paid to the School Board to recoup overtime charges that are incurred by custodians. Each site has a student council that has input into the programming of activities and often rules on disciplinary action that should be taken against students who have committed offenses against the "Student Code of Conduct." This Code of Conduct is the same set of rules that is used by the School Board, which promotes consistency between the two agencies. Results and Impact Performance Measures The program objectives have short-term and long-term measurements. The short-term measurement for the objective to increase youth attendance in after school programs is to see an increase in enrollment by 25%, and the long-range objective is to increase daily attendance by 25%. All participants and their parents/guardians must fill out enrollment information, and daily logs are kept on attendance. All participants must sign in and out. Attendance and registration records are computerized and stored at the site for analysis. The short-term measurement for the objective to decrease the number of latchkey children left unattended is the increase in the number of children participating in the program who have been identified by S.A.F.E. surveys or by School Board records as children who are home after school without parental supervision. The measurement for the objective to improve overall school performance and decrease truancy and poor behavior is the analysis of guidance/discipline records and comparison of report cards over the course of the year. This allows program staff to pinpoint the children who need individual academic attention and counseling. These figures and reports are made available to program staff by the individual schools. The ultimate goal is to have every S.A.F.E. participant promoted every year without behavior and/or truancy problems. A fourth, unwritten goal is to expand the seven existing sites to all middle schools in Duval County. Program administrators are constantly looking for more effective ways to fund and expand existing programs. Business partnerships are the new thrust. Implementation Problems and Successes At first, there was a large turnover in staff due to the credentials sought, including college degrees and specific experience, and the inability to pay high wages. Modifying the pay scale and finding dedicated staff have been extremely important to keeping a regular staff. The staff to student ratio must be kept manageable, given that the children are troubled. One of the major difficulties was merging of the Duval County School Board and the Recreation Department of the City of Jacksonville, which have different policies, procedures, and philosophies as to how this mission should be accomplished. A problem in working with governmental organizations such as the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Entertainment is getting the right type and numbers of equipment and supplies. Equipment and supplies must be adequate and readily available. Scheduling must be flexible, and items necessary to accomplish the goals must be on hand. The ability to purchase new items must be as flexible as the programming. All sites will be as different as the neighborhoods that they serve to allow for creativity among staff members. Blanket purchasing for similar programs at all sites will not sustain the children's interest. In the beginning, the fact that the children would be at the program for upwards of seven hours and the need to feed them because of this was overlooked. The program now provides simple snack foods, and cooking classes allow the students to eat what they themselves create. Successes and Accomplishments Many of the initial obstacles have been overcome, with seven sites successfully opened in School Board facilities. There is a strong spirit of cooperation between the two agencies. The sites are fully staffed with professionals who are receiving training on a regular basis to upgrade their skills and knowledge. This training is being provided free of charge by the Duval County School Board. The purchasing system is becoming more diverse, which allows easier access to supplies and materials essential for the successful operation of the program. Prospects for Replication There are several important factors to weigh when considering replication of any project of this magnitude. In this day of prudent government spending, it is important to note that no one entity will be able to fund such an aggressive project. Joint venturing is probably the only avenue whereby funding and a variety of resources can be made available. Problems may be encountered when working within another organization's facilities. A commitment to back the program fully must be made by decisionmakers in all involved organizations. This problem was not created overnight and will not be resolved quickly. Long-term commitment of all parties involved is essential. These projects should have a foundation based on hard dollars, not temporary grant funding. It is more of a disservice to begin an effective program and not continue it than not to begin it at all. According to Richard Fagan, Manager of the S.A.F.E. Program, the "program has to be innovative. It's got to be a program of attraction, not necessarily one of promotion." Children must want to be there since it can not be made mandatory. Aggressive and innovative programming must be planned. These programs should be fun as well as enriching. Community and corporate support are also of utmost importance. The taxpayer/parent needs to be aware of and understand the benefits and ramifications of the program. They can provide further encouragement to its participants and other resources to the overall program. Contact Information Richard R. Fagan Manager S.A.F.E. Program Department of Parks, Recreation and Entertainment 851 North Market Street Jacksonville, FL 32202 (904) 630-3598 (904) 630-3567 fax Kansas Hiawathans Offering Positive Environments (HOPE) Statement of the Problem Hiawatha is a small rural town in northeast Kansas. Hiawatha is not unlike the majority of rural communities in the United States. It has the following social concerns: increased teen pregnancies and date rape, escalated alcohol and other drug abuse, escalating cases of sexually transmitted diseases, disrespect for public properties, increased juvenile crime, and the start up of gang activity, like its urban neighbors. Most people have turned to schools for the solutions to these problems, but the schools are not the complete answer. The schools need outside support, thoughts, and ideas for useful programs to better address the social behavior of today's youth. From this need, Hiawathans Offering Positive Environments (HOPE) was formed in April 1992. Goals and Objectives The goal of HOPE is to form a community coalition that is a partnership of schools, parents, and community players that addresses the social policy and environments of the youth in Hiawatha. The objectives of HOPE are to: (1) become a working catalyst in the community to get organizations to work together on youth programs addressing social concerns; (2) help procure the funds and location for a community youth center; (3) create a parent network; (4) create youth activities for Healthy Highs; (5) develop full-time prevention programs in the school and the community using law enforcement personnel; (6) help support and develop community policing efforts; (7) help to obtain a chemical dependency therapist to work directly with law enforcement, inmates, juveniles, and their parent(s); and (8) work with the schools to enhance the use of drug and alcohol monies. Program Components The Steering Committee The steering committee of HOPE is a cross section of the community that includes law enforcement, media, churches, public and mental health providers, school administration and board members, youth, clubs and organizations, the National Guard, the area prevention center, and various businessmen and women. This committee is the "think tank" for HOPE that discusses the social concerns of the community and assigns them to various working committees such as student activities, parent network, or community relations. The steering committee designs some of the programs that are implemented in the community. Many members of the steering committee are CEO's or employees of community organizations or businesses that have access to youth resources or youth related programs. It became apparent early on that the HOPE organization would act as the catalyst to get area agencies to work together on youth projects and parent education. A Church Donation When the community learned that the youth wanted a community youth center, a local church donated $30,000 in start-up funds. This caused businesses, individuals, and clubs to donate money, labor, and materials to the center. The youth center is run by a combination of youth and adult board members who are responsible for activities planning, maintenance, and fund raising. The center is open daily during "at-risk" times in the evenings after school and long weekend hours and serves 30 to 50 kids per night. The youth center offers simple, fun activities to all youths in the community. The activities include bonfires, sledding parties, skating, sports, and games. Parent Network Jump starting parents to be responsible and addressing parental concerns through educational gatherings is the job of the Parent Network. This network teaches parents to look at themselves as role models. HOPE is currently using the Parent University model put out by the Kansas Extension on a regular basis to conduct their parent education, resources, and workshops. Resources for parents are also available at the local library in a designated area. A monthly newsletter is distributed by the project which addresses topics related to parents. Youth Activities Youth activities are currently being carried out at three different levels. The grade school activities are coordinated and carried out by a committee of parents. The middle school has activities for grades five and six that are conducted by parents and school sponsors. The high school activities are currently planned by the youth center board, the community, and parent sponsors. Law Enforcement It was noted early on after interviews with youth that law enforcement was viewed as an adversary. There were no prevention or related programs in the county regarding law enforcement and youth. This had to be addressed if the other programs were to have a chance to succeed. Money from Brown County, the City of Hiawatha, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, channeled through the Kansas Governor's Office for Drug Abuse, was awarded to Brown County to have a full-time prevention officer in grades K-12 and in the community to help with other youth programs. Brown County was also awarded a DARE officer for the 1993 - 1994 school year. The very positive results of the grant, and the gaps in service it identified, led to three grants in 1994 - 1995. The prevention officer grant was expanded into four Northeast Kansas counties, necessitating two additional officers. A new grant for community policing officers was awarded. The prevention officers receive information in class and privately and the community policing officers further evaluate it. The third grant was for a chemical dependency therapist who would serve four counties out of the area mental health center. This therapist is used by stressed law enforcement personnel, inmates, juveniles, and their parents who need mental health counseling. A bonus to the grant is the help that the therapist provides to the prevention officers in their daily classroom dilemmas. School Alcohol and Drug Monies The schools in Hiawatha have a drug and alcohol curriculum for grades K-12, but the youth become tired of the same program, and by the time they reach the seventh grade, peer pressure usually wins out over these teachings. The HOPE committee helps to evaluate programs and gives ideas for new programs to be used in schools. To combat disrespect for public properties, the middle school youth now are involved with community projects or functions - two functions per year are mandatory for each student. Leadership Training Instead of picking a few top students, the school now does leadership training for the entire seventh grade and their parents. This involves all students in decision making and starts parents networking for class functions. Results and Impact By creating the above programs, the project hopes to achieve the following results: (1) the community will address its social policy standards; (2) youth will be directly involved with activities and decision making for the short- and long-term viability of the youth center; (3) law enforcement will become active partners of parents and the school and friendly educators of youth, with the impact of reducing juvenile offenses; (4) the school, with the help of the prevention officer and community input, will be better able to address the whole agenda of social concerns facing today's youth at all grade levels; (5) the overall impact will be a community whose organizations and resources work in a partnership to create a positive environment for youth. Implementation Problems and Successes Community perception of HOPE When a community coalition is formed to address a subject not previously addressed, such as alcohol consumption by youth, a somewhat skeptical perception of the coalition is inevitable. Addressing social policy in a community takes time and much communication to answer peoples' questions about the organization. Once the community realized that HOPE wanted to help youth in a positive manner, many people offered their time and resources to help expand the project base. Funding When forming a coalition, funding is always a major concern. Initially, HOPE operated from donations from individuals, clubs, churches, schools, and businesses in the community. This proved to be the stimulus needed to get the coalition rolling, creating local ownership. HOPE is now also funded through fundraisers and Federal grants. Youth Center The Baptist church donated $30,000 to start the youth center. Several thousand more dollars came from the community in donations, equipment, labor, and volunteers. The youth center project was successful until the summer of 1994, when a problem developed that resulted in many changes. Some urban youth with gang experience moved to Hiawatha and started forming gangs. They tried to take over the youth center, and most of the other youth stopped attending functions at the center. The center was closed while law enforcement broke up the gangs. When the center reopened, it had an expanded board of both youth and adults and was much more structured. The youth center now conducts high school and middle school activities (Healthy Highs) and is currently looking at starting a youth job service center and a day care center to generate funds for the youth center and young people in the community. The center has helped many at-risk youth with no parent at home. The center is considering a tutoring program for these students. Law Enforcement The HOPE program's work with law enforcement of all forms (KBI, highway patrol, sheriff, city police, and police auxiliary) has proven to be rewarding for many parties. The first grants for the full-time prevention officers and the DARE officer opened up a new arena in prevention, education, and community programs. The level of success of these various programs will not be known for a long time, but the results from the first two years are very promising. The DARE program is now being funded by the City of Hiawatha, and another officer has been trained to be a DARE officer. The program hopefully will be presented to additional grades in coming years. The positive relationship between parents, youth, and law enforcement led to the community policing grant. These officers now have communication lines that were non-existent before the prevention officers started their interventions and apprehensions. They are receiving community support. The community wants more interventions and is looking at a drug dog as their next project. The police and sheriff's departments are also considering a cadet program for youth. At first, some officers did not understand the work of the prevention officer. This created in- house and departmental stress, because the prevention officer was not helping with interventions. This problem was solved by creating a committee outside of the police department to listen to the officers' complaints and mediate the situations. Meetings were also held with other officers to explain the role of the prevention officer. In addition, the prevention officer was made a representative of the sheriff, so that the sheriff would feel less threatened by the program. Another problem was that the prevention officer initially needed instruction regarding some of the cases in the schools. This led to the addition of a chemical dependency therapist in conjunction with the local mental health center to the program. This therapist has helped law enforcement officers with their job stress and counsels inmates, juveniles, and prevention officers. This therapist is also available to counsel parents. The overall success of the programs by law enforcement has benefited both law enforcement and the community. Effect on Schools Since the formation of HOPE, schools now have a partner in parents and the community to address social concerns. One success of the program is that school administrators can visit with law enforcement officials regarding at-risk or problem youth. The alcohol and drug-free schools' monies committee has developed new programs concerning cultural awareness, leadership, decisionmaking, and an evaluation of existing programs. It has allowed parents the opportunity to learn how to actively chaperon social functions and school activities. Parent Network This has been the toughest part of HOPE to keep functioning. Regular parent meetings were not successful, which is why the program has adopted the Parent University model. This allows for mini workshops on parental topics, a monthly newsletter on parent- related subjects, and an annual Parent University showcasing all resources available in the community for parents. These activities are growing in number, and parents have already started support groups. It appears after two years that the parent network will continue to exist and expand. Principals call or send letters to recalcitrant parents to continue their participation in the program. Successes and Accomplishments When HOPE began, many people thought it would not last one year. However, it has almost completed three years as a community coalition. HOPE has continued to grow and expand programs where a major social concern exists. HOPE Awareness Week was held in March 1994. This week of activities was used for celebration, education, and fun for all ages. The events included a volunteer dinner, a motivational speaker, parent education, and a Kansas City Chiefs benefit basketball game with proceeds going to the prevention officer program. HOPE helped obtain enough voter petitions to get the City of Hiawatha to change a city ordinance that allowed alcohol to be consumed at the city ballpark. HOPE organized a National Guard Fly-In in October 1994. This helped to kick off Red Ribbon Week and the Parent University. HOPE has also helped the State of Kansas start a statewide parent network using the HOPE organization structure as a start up model. The DARE program has been expanded to include sixth and seventh grades as well as the fifth grade. The juvenile offenses during the five years prior to the grant averaged 104 offenses yearly in Brown County. Twenty-one months into the program, the juvenile offense rate is now at 50, or a 50% reduction. The working relationship created between the sheriff, city police, school administrators, teachers, counselors, parents, and youth has benefited the whole community. The prevention officers had run a total of 269 programs in 22 schools by January 1995. The programs have been delivered to an estimated 5,000 students. Many of these students have received more than one program. Prospects for Replication There are several elements required for a community to start a comprehensive coalition such as HOPE. There need to be many interested people, both youth and parents. The adults need to come from a cross-section of the entire community and be both administrators and workers. They can be recruited through advertising of the HOPE program and its components. A retreat for these individuals needs to be held in order to discuss their community and focus on the pertinent issues. Once the people see, understand, and are committed to addressing the social concerns in their community, a coalition can be formed. Once the coalition is formed, it needs to get all organizations concerning youth in the community involved. A positive relationship between law enforcement, youth, and parents is imperative for social programs to have an impact on a community. Law enforcement has to be involved at all levels for prevention programs to be effective. Contact Information Stephen L. Smith Chairman 101 South 6th Street Hiawatha, KS 66434 (913) 742-2126 (913) 742-4551 fax Louisiana CODE 6: A Collaborative Effort To Fight Violent Crime Statement of the Problem The Parish of Jefferson, Louisiana is a suburban community adjacent to the City of New Orleans. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office (JPSO) is the main law enforcement agency in the Parish and is the second largest police agency in the State. The JPSO is a multifaceted police agency providing a full line of services including patrol, investigations, forensics, and corrections. The Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office (JPDA) represents the people of Jefferson Parish in the 24th Judicial District of Louisiana. The JPDA has jurisdiction over all criminal matters arising within the Parish, including felony and misdemeanor charges, parish ordinances, juvenile cases, and traffic offenses. The primary mission of police service is to protect the public from violent crime. There are many ways to meet this challenge, but the most effective means to impact violent crime is to deter those intent on its commission. Deterrence can be described as the state of mind whereby a potential offender resists the opportunity or impulse to commit crime for fear of apprehension and punishment. Unfortunately, as it relates to the habitual, violent offender, deterrence is a bankrupt theory. As studies and experience have demonstrated, the true recidivist is a criminal by choice who has demonstrated a reluctance or inability to reform. As a result, the only meaningful method known of interrupting the criminal careers of these hardcore offenders is through a process of selective incapacitation. It has long been established, both academically and in law enforcement circles, that a relatively small percentage of the population, estimated at 6%, is responsible for a large and disproportionate share of crime in general, estimated at 60%, and of violent crime, estimated at 75%. This minority of offenders is often referred to as the CHRONIC 6%. So great is the impact of this element of society that if law enforcement officers did nothing more in the war on crime than focus attention on this element of society, communities would experience an immediate and dramatic reduction in the incidence of violent crime. The problem with most strategies that attempt to focus on recidivists is that they fail to objectively and correctly identify the true impact players in the community. For the most part, the decision to target a certain individual over another is based on a subjective "gut feeling." If ten people were involved in the decisionmaking process, ten different targets might be selected. In an effort to systematically identify and neutralize this 'cream of the rotten crop,' the Sheriff and District Attorney of Jefferson Parish, in conjunction with the municipal police departments, established an elite police/prosecutor unit designated "CODE 6." A cooperative effort now exists in Jefferson Parish to negate the effects of this chronic minority through analytical incarceration and prosecutorial strategies. Goals and Objectives The goal of the program is to reduce significantly the incidence of predatory crime perpetrated by violent recidivists through a process of objective identification, selective incapacitation, and vertical prosecution. Program Components On October 12, 1992, the CODE 6 Program was established as a joint police/prosecutor initiative comprising the Sheriff's Office Career Criminal Intercept Unit (CCIU) and the District Attorney's Office Vertical Prosecution Unit (VPU). The program is centrally headquartered within the Sheriff's Office Investigations Bureau, with satellite offices located at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center. Offenders are objectively identified through the use of an Intensive Criteria Rating Scale, which comprises seven distinct categories, each having a corresponding point value. Twenty points is the maximum number an individual can attain in the system. A higher point total indicates a greater propensity for violence. The criteria takes into account both felony arrest(s) and/or conviction(s). It evaluates the total criminal history accumulated by the offender including the instant or pending charge(s). Heavy emphasis is placed on crimes involving violence, drugs, and weapons. Attention is also given to the career criminal having obtained five or more felony arrests in at least three different crime categories. In addition, it notes whether the offender has obtained a felony arrest within thirty months of the instant charge and whether the offender has a substantial juvenile record. Next, offenders are selectively incapacitated by being physically prevented from committing future criminal acts. CODE 6 accomplishes this systematic quarantine by appealing to magistrates to enhance bonds based on either the severity of the instant charge or the criminal history of the offender as reflected by the point total accrued by applying the Intensive Criteria. Perpetrators are vertically prosecuted by a CODE 6 special prosecutor who manages the case from screening through trial. Vertical prosecutors make extensive use of the State's Habitual Offender Law which enhances sentences through multiple billing. The notification process begins when an investigating and/or arresting officer contacts communications and requests a CODE 6 criminal history of an individual. Communications enters the name, race, sex, and birth date of the individual into a metropolitan-wide criminal information network computer. The computer displays pertinent information on the individual which includes a concise criminal history. If the individual in question has attained at least five felony arrests and/or two felony convictions, he/she is flagged as a possible career criminal. If the individual is the subject of a felony arrest(s), all paperwork is immediately forwarded to the Career Criminal Intercept Unit for analytical processing. At this stage, all potential candidates are evaluated by the Intensive Criteria Rating Scale to determine the extent and degree of documented violence. In the tracking portion of the program, a CCIU member attends magistrate court daily, armed with all available information obtained during notification on all potential targets. It is at magistrate court that the CCIU will selectively incapacitate targets by making appeals for enhanced bonds even though the instant charge may be relatively minor. Tracking also includes the assigning of a CCIU investigator to work one on one with a vertical prosecutor to perform any research and investigative functions deemed necessary by the vertical prosecutor to enhance the probability of conviction. In the final phase of the system, all available information on the targeted recidivist is forwarded to vertical prosecution for screening. At this time, based on a number of variables including the criteria score and case quality, the target is either eliminated from consideration, the case transferred to the regular screening division of the D.A.'s Office, or accepted for vertical prosecution. If accepted, the target may be tried by the VPU. These defendants rate high on the criteria and have one or more prior felony convictions that make them candidates for multiple billing under the habitual offender law. Other accepted defendants who would have been tried by a vertical prosecutor, because of mitigating factors (i.e., sheer volume or no prior convictions), may be tried by regular division assistant district attorneys with special supervisory instructions regarding pleas or disposition of sentence. Results and Impact Performance Measures To date, the CODE 6 Program is achieving its stated goal of significantly reducing the incidence of predatory crime in the community by objectively identifying, selectively incapacitating, and vertically prosecuting violent recidivists. All qualitative data on targeted individuals are loaded into the Sheriff's Office main frame VAX Computer system. Data retrieved from the system on a monthly basis reports the following short list: total number of Possible Career Criminals arrested and booked at the correctional facility by felonies, misdemeanors, and attachments; total number of bond enhancements and amounts; average length of incapacitation of potential candidates at the correctional facility; total number of candidates accepted for vertical prosecution; total number of trials, pleas, convictions, or acquittals; average number of years per sentenced target; and average length of time from acceptance to trial. Implementation Problems and Successes As in any multiagency initiative, certain compromises must be made. Clear and concise areas of responsibility must be worked out well in advance. In addition, emphasis must be placed evenly on all areas of the process. At first, too much emphasis was placed on arrests and not enough on convictions. When the judges weren't enthusiastic about the program, more attention was distributed to convictions to even out the distribution of positive publicity. One problem encountered by the CODE 6 program is that criminals are filing motions to expunge their records so that it cannot be determined if they are eligible for the CODE 6 program. District Attorneys are still trying to decide if this is legal. Another problem is that there is no multiple bill law with regard to juveniles. They can be identified as CODE 6 perpetrators, but they can't be kept incarcerated for a great length of time. Successes and Accomplishments From October 12, 1992 through December 31, 1994, the CODE 6 Program has achieved some impressive results. It is important to note that from its inception until November of 1993, the Vertical Prosecution Unit consisted of one prosecutor. Since that time, the number of vertical prosecutors has increased to three. The Career Criminal Intercept Unit has steadily grown to its present compliment of twelve personnel. From October 1992 through December 1994, the CODE 6 Program compiled the following statistics: 14,152 possible career criminals arrested: 5,324 felony arrests, 3,980 misdemeanor arrests, and 4,848 attachment arrests; 307 bond enhancements totaling $76,715,414; 127 candidates on average incapacitated at the correctional facility; 419 candidates accepted in the program for vertical prosecution; 235 total convictions; average sentence per conviction was 33 years (excluding 4 life sentences) in the category with more severe cases and 8 years in the category with less severe cases; and 4.8 months average time from acceptance to trial. Prospects for Replication The prospects for replication of this program are good. During the planning stages, program managers should attempt to include all elements of the law enforcement community, including the judiciary. Frequent meeting and recognition of all parties involved is a must. The systems aspect of the program can be manual or computer generated, depending on the sophistication of the agency. The CODE 6 Program is working because it is a quick, simple, and budget-friendly method of identifying and removing habitual, violent offenders from the community. CODE 6 targets violent recidivists, moves them quickly through the criminal justice system, and removes them from society. Contact Information Captain Vince Lamia Commander Career Criminal Intercept Unit 725 Maple Avenue Harvey, LA 70058 (504) 364-5491 (504) 364-5367 fax Robert Grant Vertical Prosecution Unit 725 Maple Avenue Harvey, LA 70058 (504) 364-5491 (504) 364-5367 fax Massachusetts Triad and Community Policing: The Massachusetts Model Statement of the Problem According to data compiled by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), by the year 2030 there will be 66 million Americans 65 years of age and over, nearly 22% of the entire population, up from 31 million or 12 1/2% in 1989. With the certainty of that trend's continuance, law enforcement and national elder lobbies have focused research and media attention on this section of the population. The American public views the older citizen as highly vulnerable to and a frequent victim of criminal activity. Many seniors hold this view as well, and as a result live in a state of fear that far outweighs the reality of their vulnerability. Television and newspaper accounts of criminal activity often introduce hyperbole; the fear of possible victimization mounts unrealistically. The anxieties which accompany these perceptions reduce the quality of life for older persons. While most studies indicate that elders are victimized less often than any other age group, the economic, physical, and psychological consequences of those victimizations are more debilitating. A purse-snatching experienced by a younger person, although serious, is not as likely to have the severe consequences that would be more likely with an elder. For an elder, limited fixed income makes replacing what was stolen more difficult; possible physical injuries resulting from the assault heal much more slowly; and emotional consequences could lead to increased isolation and a reduction of social support. An elder victimized while in public frequently decides to isolate her/himself more completely, especially at night. This reduced vulnerability may account somewhat for the finding that those over 65 are less often victimized than other age groups. Staying at home does lessen the chance of being assaulted, but it also can reduce significantly the quality of one's interactions. However, the home is not always a haven. Victims of elder abuse face the burden of having to choose whether to report the abuse to authorities, thus jeopardizing family members and their own ability to remain at home, or subject themselves to continued abuse. If they report the abuse, they face the question of who will care for them. If they remain at home, they wonder how the perpetrator will retaliate. If they do not report the abuse, they face continuing, and often escalating, mistreatment. Frauds and scams increasingly target older citizens. According to Doug Shadel, economic security/consumer representative with AARP, while seniors compose 12-13% of the population, they are the targets of nearly 1/3 of all reported frauds -- telemarketing, postal, and door-to- door -- and 60% of all health frauds. Reasons cited for the high incidence include the likelihood of seniors having considerable savings, lump-sum pensions, or insurance premiums; the strong possibility that seniors with fixed incomes are more susceptible to get-rich-quick schemes; and that they are more likely to be home, often alone, when swindlers call. As criminal activity in society continues and fear intensifies, society and law enforcement have an obligation to address the security needs of these older citizens. The establishment of the Triad program in a community, county, and/or State is a realistic, cost-effective method of addressing those needs. Goals and Objectives In serving Franklin and Hampshire Counties in western Massachusetts and their citizens, the Triad program has the following goals: to reduce criminal activity which targets older Americans; to alleviate seniors' fear of victimization, and build confidence in their ability to reduce vulnerability; and to expand collaboration between law enforcement, human service providers, and seniors. The objectives of the program in Franklin and Hampshire Counties to accomplish the above goals are to: establish a community format to increase interaction between seniors, law enforcement officers, and human service providers; educate seniors, officers, and providers concerning each others' responsibilities and advantages gained through collaboration; provide education on crime prevention and personal/home safety; increase reporting by seniors to police of suspicious/criminal activity; offer seniors leadership training and the opportunity to lead; and improve senior awareness of services. Program Components "Triad" is a local community policing initiative among seniors, law enforcement, and human service providers to increase safety and confidence for older citizens through education and crime prevention. In each community Triad is implemented through a SALT (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together) Council which is composed of seniors, representatives of community service organizations, and local and county law enforcement officers. Frequently involved are Councils on Aging, Home Care and senior housing organizations, protective services, AARP, clergy, and business leaders. Law enforcement representation includes local police, the District Attorney, and the Sheriff. Implementation of Triad consists of learning the needs of the community's senior population through the SALT Council and then working cooperatively to seek and put into place solutions to those needs. Surveys and questionnaires often are utilized to help determine the concerns of older residents. Once needs have been pinpointed and prioritized, the Council regularly convenes a forum to decide how best to accomplish the specified goals. A responsibility of the SALT Council is to see that information that originates in the Council, or that results from its initiatives, is circulated throughout the community to assure that those who would most benefit from the information receive it. The media -- print, radio, television - - and newsletters, pamphlets, and other publications, civic meetings, community meals, and workshops become avenues for distributing information. Locally, implementation and maintenance of a SALT Council require little money other than that which allows professionals sufficient time to meet and to fulfill the Council's agenda. When police departments have required funding to provide for a Triad officer, State grants have been helpful. On the county level, Triad in western Massachusetts operated for two years with a volunteer part-time coordinator who assisted the District Attorney and the Sheriffs. As the program grew, the need for a full-time person led to a grant application to the Massachusetts Committee on Criminal Justice (MCCJ). A requirement of the $50,000 grant was that one quarter of the total was to be provided by the District Attorney and Sheriffs. Renewal of the grant for a second year will necessitate that one-half of the total be obtained from sources other than MCCJ. The advantages of a SALT Council to a community are numerous. For seniors, the Council provides the opportunity to meet directly and regularly with local police officers. Citizens are more inclined to turn to the police when they know officers as people and not simply as uniforms. Consequently, police departments are more likely to be contacted by people who previously may have been reluctant to involve the police. Seniors also become more aware of services to which they and their peers are entitled and how to access them. They become more aware of criminal activities and of steps to avoid victimization. Police officers benefit by becoming more aware of the fears and perceptions of their senior residents regarding crime and victimization. Frequently, police chiefs have expressed concern that seniors, more than any other age group, are reluctant to involve the police when it would be appropriate for them to do so. Whether many seniors are concerned that they will bother the police whom they may believe have more important things to do, or whether they are afraid of recriminations if they notify police of suspected criminal activity, older citizens frequently are hesitant to call the police. Improved communication and sharing between seniors and police officers can work to counteract that tendency. Increased respect for the department from members of the community develops as a result of the commitment that has been shown through Triad. Human service providers gain from increased interaction and cooperation with law enforcement and from improved distribution of services. Council on Aging directors become more conscious of the needs of the seniors they serve concerning the issues of vulnerability to crime and victimization. Protective services and police departments gain an improved understanding and appreciation for what each other's tasks and challenges are. Advantages to be gained through collaborative efforts become more apparent. Results and Impact Performance Measures Full implementation of Triad, consisting of SALT Councils in each of the 47 communities, is to be completed by July 1995. Indicators of Council effectiveness are: the level of reporting to police/protective services by seniors of suspected criminal activity; evidence of senior initiatives to plan and to implement workshops to focus on issues; elements of elder security: personal protection, outreach to isolated elders, vulnerability to fraud, and home/neighborhood protection; and enhanced senior involvement in the community evidenced by media contact, participation in workshops, and involvement with local, State, and national representatives. Measures of the effectiveness of the program have been primarily qualitative. Interviews with police officers, service providers, and seniors have demonstrated a belief that Triad is needed, welcome, and effective. Quantitative measures have included local questionnaires and their results, newspaper and senior newsletter articles, crime spots on local radio, panel interviews on cable access television stations, and workshops. Implementation Problems and Successes The principal difficulties encountered in implementation efforts have been "turf" issues. As the primary law enforcement organization of the Commonwealth, local police departments are committed to maintaining that position and can become defensive if another department is suspected of infringing on their territory. Open discussion between police, sheriffs, and district attorneys, and a commitment to keep chiefs informed of efforts and initiatives designed to assist, not to dominate or replace, have led to increased respect and cooperation. Successes and Accomplishments Virtually every community to which Triad has been introduced has expressed a willingness to implement the program. This reflects both the perceived need to approach crime problems collaboratively and the willingness to attempt it. The statements summarized below are by seniors from Triad communities in Franklin County. They are characteristic of feelings expressed by seniors throughout both counties. "I don't feel as fearful. I feel better qualified to cope through education. It's a very valuable program. I think that the other people I've talked to feel the same way.... I think if people know we have a new kind of senior out there, that we are not as easy a prey, and they (the seniors) know ways of taking care of themselves, I really think... down the road it will be a very valuable crime fighter.... I have more confidence; I'm not nearly as timid about going out now." Dorothea Hochrein, 74. "I'm alerted, and I tell other people what I've learned. My impulse now is to call the police right away. Before I might have thought I was just being neurotic where now I'd just call them right up. Some of the seniors are inclined to say, `I don't want to bother the police,' where now we are being told, `Bother us; that's what we're here for'... I feel a lot different toward the police now, much more secure." Mary Poirier, 62. "I know I could go into the police station at any time and have someone help me and give me good advice. Or I could stop a policeman on the street. It's just more comforting, more reassuring knowing that you can talk to people. Yes, I am much less fearful.... To be able to sit each month with the police chief and a detective and to have them listen to you is great." Fran Callaghan, 82. "I've lived here two years. I have people living right outside my door who wouldn't even talk to me; they didn't even say `Hi....' Now they stop me and say, `You had those (no soliciting) signs put up. We think that's a wonderful idea.' I told them, `Don't wait to get robbed; find out how to protect yourself.' Now they're more outgoing. It (Triad) is opening people up more.... Where I used to live (New York City) we never had positive relationships with the police like we are having now." Vincent Capasso, 72. In addition to the SALT Councils that have been implemented, a significant development of the Triad program in western Massachusetts has been the cooperation between police and sheriffs' departments to reach out to seniors who are living alone and in isolation. When police officers have been unavailable due to staff shortages and/or other commitments, a sheriff's deputy has been able to respond. Seniors have found home visits to be reassuring for several reasons: the presence of a patrol car in the neighborhood is a reminder of police interest and their commitment to deter crime; the visits help to alleviate the fear an older person can experience while living alone and can reduce significantly the feeling of isolation; a visiting officer can make suggestions as to what the resident can do to make his home more secure, educating the senior concerning what steps can be taken to increase safety; and an officer trained in detecting frauds and scams that target elders can detect signs of possible involvement and can dispense information to deter future defrauding. Triad SALT Councils have provided a base for the presentation, dissemination, and discussion of information to counter vulnerability to fraud. With direct access to seniors, police, and human service providers, Councils have sponsored presentations that assure current and accurate information on past scams and scams that currently are operational in an area. Through the cooperative resources that the Councils provide, pamphlets can be prepared, distributed, and discussed by utilizing media outlets. Another issue affecting older citizens on which Triad is having an impact is that of mixed population housing. As State hospitals and institutions have been closed throughout Massachusetts, community resources have been called upon to provide additional services including housing. Often housing complexes constructed exclusively for elders are being opened to younger individuals with special needs and their own personal and social habits. The Triad SALT Councils are bringing together the groups which are affected. Discussion of what is not working and what could lead to improvements is beginning. Of issue to police officers, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT's), and firefighters who respond to emergencies in private residences is the availability of vital medical information. For senior residents who are more likely to have particular medical conditions that could affect their treatment, the accessibility of that information is essential for saving time and lives. Several SALT Councils in Western Massachusetts have adopted an initiative from the Triad in Bridgeport, Connecticut by creating a "file for life." The plastic file has a pocket which contains vital medical and emergency information kept on an updatable form. Highly visible, the file attaches to the outside of the refrigerator door with a magnet. Officers and EMT's will know where to look for medical information including whom to contact on the senior's behalf. Efforts have begun through local Councils on Aging to have files distributed throughout the State. Other Triad initiatives have included home and personal safety seminars and police reports on the nature of criminal activity in the community. Accurate information from police departments and from protective service agencies is helping to reduce fear and to strengthen the sense of community. SALT Councils have sponsored presentations on shopping rights, how to address conflicts between seniors and young people, street lighting shortages, telemarketing fraud and telephone technology, town by-laws concerning solicitation, the advisability of utilizing personal and home security devices, and self-defense. Some police departments working with local Councils have begun to offer training for seniors to assist officers with home security checks, with the utilization of Operation Identification to deter house break-ins, and with outreach. Through January 1995, 30 of the 47 communities that comprise Franklin and Hampshire Counties have been introduced to the Triad program and are in various stages of implementation. In November 1994 the Northwestern District Attorney and the Sheriffs from the two counties sponsored a statewide introduction of Triad which was attended by over 200 people from Massachusetts: police officers, sheriffs, district attorneys, Council on Aging and AARP representatives, and protective service personnel. As a result, a dozen communities from neighboring counties have asked for assistance in beginning Triad, as have representatives from other States. Prospects for Replication The National Sheriffs' Association (NSA) provides a full-time national Triad coordinator to facilitate the creation of a Triad program in any State. NSA sponsored a national conference in October and will host a second in St. Louis in April. The conference includes workshops on how to begin and to maintain SALT Councils. Several counties in Massachusetts as well as other States have asked for assistance in introducing Triad. Recommendations to implement the program throughout Massachusetts have come from a Governor's Task Force on Mixed Population Housing and from the State White House Conference Subcommittee on Crime and Elders sponsored by the Executive Office of Elder Affairs. Contact Information David P. Lloyd Triad Project Coordinator Northwestern District Attorney One Court Square Northampton, MA 01060 (413) 586-9225 (413) 584-3635 fax Missouri Jackson County Drug Abatement Response Team (DART) Statement of the Problem The Jackson County Drug Abatement Response Team (DART) was developed as an interagency, intergovernmental, community-based response to the drug house problem in Jackson County. The general principle behind the creation of DART was that the most effective weapon against drug houses is the community. Since this was not just a county, city, or one neighborhood's problem, it was envisioned that a cooperative effort among all groups adversely affected by this problem would provide the most effective method for eliminating it. DART was created in 1991 through the assistance of a grant from the State of Missouri and through funding from the Jackson County Anti-Drug Sales Tax (commonly referred to as the Community Backed Anti-Drug Tax, "COMBAT"). It should be noted that Jackson County, Missouri is one of a very few places in the United States that has decided to tax itself to help eliminate the county's drug problem through enforcement, prevention, and treatment. Goals and Objectives The goal of DART is to provide a method to quickly shut down drug houses by citing city housing code and fire code violations, thus bypassing the more traditional police methods that take longer and sometimes are less effective. DART's primary goal and function is to take measures to identify and remove illegal drug activity within the community. Program Components DART is a multiagency, multijurisdictional program that was developed to combat the increasing problem of drug houses within Jackson County. DART's primary role is to provide a quick, alternative method to close drug houses using the resources of county and local government, the citizens of the community, and private sector utility companies. Before the creation of DART, it was determined that drug trafficking operations within Jackson County were located predominantly in residential properties and occasionally in business establishments. Illegal drug distribution and associated activities present safety and health issues not only for those individuals who are involved in the illegal activity, but also for those innocent individuals who might be impacted through community ties -- either residential, educational, family, business, or otherwise. Based on the increasing presence of drugs and drug-related activity throughout Jackson County, it became apparent that in order to have an impact on the issues and circumstances created by illegal drug activity, there was a need for increased community involvement. The need was also identified for the involvement of public organizations which possessed the resources to address not only individual criminal activity but also illegal activity based in whole or in part on the actual physical structure of properties. In recognition of this, the DART concept was developed with the commitment to identify and apply all legal means available to eliminate the entire spectrum of problems associated with properties being used for illegal drug activity. The Drug Abatement Response Team (DART) represents a very unique and innovative approach to identifying and addressing issues and circumstances created by the illegal use of properties for the possession, manufacturing, storing, or distribution of controlled substances. DART's primary goal is to identify and remove illegal drug activity. In doing so, DART relies on the collaborative effort among the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office, Kansas City, the Kansas City Fire Department, the Kansas City Police Department, the Jackson County Sheriff's Department, and the citizens of Jackson County. Each member of the DART Team provides access to the services, resources, and expertise of its organization. The Jackson County Prosecutor's Office houses the DART administrative office and serves as a focal point. The Prosecuting Attorney's DART staff consists of an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney assigned as DART Coordinator, an Investigator, a Community Liaison, an Administrative Assistant, and a Law Intern. Kansas City, through its Neighborhood Preservation Department, provides a DART Housing Codes Inspector. The Kansas City Fire Department provides a DART Fire Codes Inspector. The Kansas City Police Department provides investigative and responsive services through the Street Narcotics Unit, the Drug Enforcement Unit, and various Patrol Divisions. Finally, the Jackson County Sheriff's Department provides police interaction and representation of the municipalities in Eastern Jackson County through the Jackson County Drug Task Force. The DART process begins with members of the Jackson County community. In fact, except for instances when unrelated police contact with a property leads to the discovery of illegal drug activity, all DART action begins with a member of the community reporting the suspected activity. This reporting occurs through telephone calls made directly from concerned citizens to the DART Office, the Police Department, or various community organizations or through direct contact with the community of DART staff at community meetings and events. Additionally, DART has been assisted by the development of community-oriented policing programs such as Community Action Network (CAN) Centers and Community Action Teams (CAT). These community policing components have been instrumental in the identification and elimination of drug houses and other buildings which have been used as part of the drug trade. Once a property has been identified, it is targeted for investigation by the appropriate narcotics division of the police agency which has jurisdiction on the area where the property is located. When the drug activity is confirmed, documentation is then forwarded to the Prosecutor's Office for immediate DART follow-up action. DART follow-up action begins administratively with a county record check for the identification of the legal owner of the targeted property. A notice letter regarding the illegal activity is sent which includes a request for abatement of the activity and the possible consequences of failure to abate the problem. An inquiry is made into the criminal history of the residents and/or parties associated with the property along with a review of prior DART contact with the property. The primary purpose of the DART inspection is to identify municipal housing and fire code violations and to review those violations as a potential means for immediate closure of the house. According to Willis Toney, Chief Drug Prosecutor for the project, "What we (DART) discovered is that people who operated out of drug houses had one fatal flaw, they never kept the houses up like most people would." When a property is posted, it is deemed unsafe for human occupancy. An order to vacate the property, which specifically sets out the code violations, is forwarded to the owner. The owner is then required to make the necessary improvements and repairs on the property before it is reinspected and recertified for occupancy. As long as the property is posted and not recertified, any entry onto the property is deemed illegal and those persons found at the property are subject to arrest for trespassing. Work access permits are granted to owners to allow for repair and the removal of property. In addition to the notice of violations and order to vacate notice sent to the owner from the DART inspector, the owner is also sent a notice letter of illegal drug activity from the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office. This notice letter is sent via certified mail and is an official request for the owner to take immediate action to abate the activity. Enclosed in the letter is the applicable Missouri statute as well as an explanation of the potential jeopardy to the continued ownership and control of the property if drug activity continues. "When property owners start losing their property because they're letting drug deals take place in their property, they become aware and they stop it," says Toney. The interaction between the DART Team and owners usually results in a voluntary resolution of the problem created by the illegal activity. At times, the tenants are evicted or voluntarily vacate the premises. However, on those occasions when the owner is directly involved, or there is a recurrence of drug activity from rental property, legal action is pursued by way of Petitions for Public Nuisance or Criminal Activity Forfeiture Actions. Houses that are vacated under court order are boarded up for six months. If after this time, the landlords cannot be located, the houses are demolished or put up for public auction. Some of the abandoned houses are given to the Community Development Corporation, a program for many different kinds of offenders that teaches construction skills. The offenders rehabilitate the dilapidated houses and sell them. The money earned from the resale goes to the Community Development Corporation. Results and Impact Performance Measures The DART program's success is measured by the reduction of: drug trafficking in the previously affected area; the number of open drug houses; the numbers of police "calls for service" in a particular area; the number of incidents of violence or drug-related crimes in a particular area; and crime overall in the targeted areas. Implementation Problems and Successes The challenge to DART's initial development was increasing community involvement in the identification and investigation of the targeted properties as well as increasing interagency awareness, cooperation, and utilization. While resource development was crucial in DART's development, it was also important to identify those resources already in existence for possible utilization and expansion while keeping in mind the goal of providing immediate, short-term as well as long-term methods for the removal and/or closure of properties being used in drug- related activities. The difficulty in the implementation of DART centered on maintaining a balance within the legal parameters of the State, county, and local organizations that comprise DART. There existed a general hesitation to embrace this very unusual, innovative, and unchartered project which likely stemmed from an inability to fully visualize the roles and significance of each individual organization. Nevertheless, after a series of interagency brainstorming sessions and the continual identification and addition of other organizational resources, DART became a full-fledged program. An ongoing problem of the program is prioritizing neighborhoods to investigate. When DART began, the first areas entered into were the Weed and Seed areas because of funding issues. The program has expanded its range based on where the calls for help come from. Another problem was the political aspects of who would receive credit for the reduction in crime. A roundtable was held in which all participating parties received credit for the successful operations, and the program was billed as a joint operation. A final challenge was the integration of the most significant DART partner, the community. It was of paramount importance to stimulate the community to call in and report suspected illegal drug activity. A mechanism for receiving and documenting that information also had to be developed. Data Research and Analysis for Geographic Narcotics Enforcement Targets (DRAGNET), which was already being used by the police department, became and remains a very productive resource and tool for this purpose. Information generated from community telephone calls is used by the Street Narcotics Unit (SNU) of DART in targeting properties for investigation. Once a property has been successfully investigated by SNU, via an undercover purchase of illegal narcotics and the subsequent execution of a search warrant, the other DART partners take action. Based on the initial police investigation and city and county follow-up, the Jackson County community has developed a greater level of confidence and security in their anonymity in reporting the activity, but also pride in their involvement in the closing of the property. Closing the problem property is the first step in restoring the quality of life in the affected areas. Successes and Accomplishments DART allows citizens to have direct input in the war on crime within their communities. When positive steps are taken to close a drug house, citizens see their tax dollars working, and they get a feeling of satisfaction once the house is shut down and the accompanying noise and violence is removed from their neighborhood. Another measure of the program's success is the increase in the number of drug cases filed. Prior to the COMBAT tax in 1989, there were less than 200 drug cases filed. In 1994, over 1,400 were filed. The DART program accomplished many tasks from 1992 to 1994 including sending out over 1,723 notice letters to property owners, completing 441 evictions, implementing 924 fire and housing inspections, posting/vacating after inspection 683 properties, boarding up 112 properties, filing 15 nuisances of which 5 were completed, and filing 10 forfeitures of which 8 were completed. To date, DART has had contact with almost 2,000 properties throughout Jackson County. This action ranges from notice letters being sent to property owners informing them of the illegal drug activity, to properties actually closed on code violations, to properties being declared public nuisances by the Court and ordered vacated and boarded up for a period up to a year and/or being ordered forfeited to the State of Missouri. Prospects for Replication The DART concept is easily replicated because most of the necessary components already exist within communities. Specifically, there is a prosecuting attorney, a narcotics unit or patrol officers who confront narcotics-type activities, some form of fire codes and housing codes in existence, and usually some block clubs or neighborhood associations with a vested interest in identifying and addressing the issues presented by illegal drug activity. DART's success is inextricably interwoven into its continual development and flexibility in taking all legal steps to respond to issues presented by drug activity as well as developing and communicating proactive means of preventing the activity. Contact Information Willis L. Toney Chief Drug Prosecutor Jackson County Prosecutor's Office 415 East 12th Street Eleventh Floor Kansas City, MO 64106 (816) 881-3807 (816) 881-3843 fax New Jersey Police Community Partnership Program Statement of the Problem The City of East Orange, New Jersey is an urban center located in northern New Jersey. The 1990 U.S. Census recorded a population of 73,552 people within East Orange's 3.9 square miles. This results in one of the most densely populated urban centers in the country with 18,388 people per square mile. The unofficial population is approximately 100,000. The target neighborhood has approximately 4,000 residents. Less than 8% of them are senior citizens, lower than average for the city. About 30% of the population are under 18, about the city-wide average. East Orange is a low income city with a minority population over 90%. The target area has historically accounted for approximately 42% of all serious crimes that occur in the city. The Police Community Partnership Program was initiated on February 15, 1993. The Police Community Partnership Program uses a multiagency approach to address violent crime, drug abuse, and deteriorating social conditions. The Police Community Partnership Program relies on the establishment of a healthy, positive relationship between the police and citizens. Goals and Objectives Some of the goals of the program are to: increase drug prevention programs in the schools by expanding D.A.R.E.; organize Community/Neighborhood Watch Programs; educate children, parents, and the public to be aware of and avoid potential crime situations and minimize their risk of being crime victims; and expand the number of neighborhoods in partnership with police programs. Program Components The Police Community Partnership Program is made up of 4 components: Violent Offenders Removal Program (VORP), Community Oriented Policing, Safe Haven, and Neighborhood Revitalization. VORP This component is designed to remove violent and repeat offenders from the target area. It is a multiagency strategy which includes city, county, and State law enforcement personnel working together to combat crime in the target area. Meetings are held monthly to discuss strategies to apprehend and remove violent offenders. Individuals who continue to degrade the quality of life in the target area are prosecuted with the assistance of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. Community Oriented Policing The community policing unit consists of ten officers who form the core of the project and are supported by the department as a whole. They engage in a daily vigorous patrol function. The primary objective of the selection criteria is that police officers should "get to know the community." Their role is that of policeman, mediator, representative, and friend to the target area residents. Their responsibilities range from enforcing to advising, and they look for all avenues to improve the quality of life in the community. This partnership is developed through trust and open lines of communication. This component involves the mobilization of target area residents to assist law enforcement in identifying problems and developing solutions. Area residents become the eyes and ears of the police. Safe Haven The Safe Haven was incorporated into the YMCA and Rowley Park, located in the target area in East Orange. The concept is to create a positive, healthy environment for recreational, cultural, and educational programs. Safe Haven, the recreational component of the community policing partnership grant, has approximately 600 members between the ages of five and eighteen. Of these 600, 83 are members of the Safe Haven/East Orange YMCA After School Program. The After School Program is for youth between the ages of five and thirteen and runs from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the East Orange YMCA gymnasium. Activities offered to the After School Program members include: dance, swimming, tumbling, arts and crafts, games, martial arts, science, after school homework assistance, games, snacks, and trips. Evening and weekend offerings are as follows: Girl Scouts, the Archonette Club (chapter of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority), boxing, swimming, 4-H, basketball, open gym and weight room, Creative Spirits Performing Arts Group, and video game room. Periodic parent meetings and the involvement of parents in planning activities has been crucial all the program's successes. Mandatory parent orientations were set up at the beginning of the program to orient parents regarding the program and to elicit their suggestions and desires regarding program delivery. Revitalization The city intends to rehabilitate Rowley Park, which is located in the target area. The basketball courts have been resurfaced, and new playground equipment has been added. The city intends to make the park more of a focal point for community activities. This will be done by adding a picnic area, softball field, and security kiosk/concessions stand. Additional garbage receptacles and planters were placed throughout the target area. Four two-family homes are presently being built at the corner of Park Avenue and North Clinton Street. A 16-unit multifamily property at 356 William Street is being rehabilitated and is near completion. Five multifamily homes with 163 units of affordable housing are to be rehabilitated on North Walnut Street. The rehabilitation of 139 North Arlington Avenue will result in the creation of high quality, low-cost housing for families in the city. There is also a proposal for the development of a 16-unit multifamily home at North Walnut Street and Park Avenue. Results and Impact Implementation Problems and Successes Attempts made to begin a Pre-Teen/Teen After School Program at the East Orange High School were unsuccessful due to low enrollment/interest. One of the biggest problems in implementing the program was knowing how each component should run and getting it to meet that standard or higher. Another problem was trying to get everyone involved with the program to work together. Successes and Accomplishments One of the accomplishments in 1994 was the creation of a drug-free environment in Rowley Park. Another was the field house, now the home of a Mini-Station. Through the Mini-Station, safe corridors were established to and from school. At the start of the school year a meeting was held with the principal of the high school which borders the target area. Key issues discussed were truancy, loitering, and disorderly conduct in and around the school. One solution was to stagger dismissal times. Officers assigned to the school work with Board of Education Security to accomplish this. A summer D.A.R.E. program was implemented for children at Rowley Park. D.A.R.E. officers continued to teach their program during the school year at local schools. Officers assisted neighborhood residents in applying for GED and job training programs. Daily interaction with building managers and superintendents has kept the lines of communication open. Security surveys were conducted. Vacant apartments were utilized for the surveillance of drug activity. Signs were posted on buildings in the target area notifying area residents that building owners are working with the police to rid the area of law violators. Crime tip placards were placed in stores and homes in the area. Calls for service are being monitored. If a building is receiving complaints, a letter is sent to the owner. This letter requests that the owner respond to police headquarters. Once the letter is received by the owner, problems, strategies, and solutions are discussed. A team effort is utilized to find a solution to the problem. Many innovative ideas have led to numerous arrests and the confiscation of drugs, money, and vehicles. A grocery store in the target area which played a major part in the drug trade has been closed, and permits for a neighborhood laundromat are being processed. Vacant lots were blocked off by large tree stumps to prevent dumping. Two vacant lots have been turned into community gardens in the summer months, making the area safer and more attractive. Officers in the Community Oriented Policing Unit made 247 adult arrests and 75 juvenile arrests in 1994, compared to 450 adult arrests and 71 juvenile arrests in 1993. A total of 247 adults were arrested as part of the VORP component of the program, 131 cases were reviewed, and 51 cases were referred to the grand jury with dispositions in Superior Court. The highlights of the Safe Haven Program have been the successful completion of the 1994 Summer Camp, which registered 252 youth; Healthy Kids Day; Oktoberfest Flea Market; Halloween Party; Thanksgiving Feast; and the end of the year Holiday Pageant. The growth of the Safe Haven component can be seen not only through the increased membership, but in the addition of new programs, events, and parent participation. It can also be seen between the officers working with the program and the youth, who look for them and trust them and their presence in the neighborhood. The process of revitalization will generate long-term benefits to the area. Neighborhood residents who are involved in job training will work as apprentices to the sub-contractors hired to build the project. Being able to address problems and find solutions has played an important role in strengthening the position of the police in the neighborhood. Prospects for Replication For the program to be a success, it must have the commitment of the Chief of Police, and the mayor must set the tone of the program. Also, program organizers should tell others what the goals of the program are to encourage success. Being able to work with other agencies in the city, county, and State is of paramount importance. Some of the agencies that the Police Community Partnership Program works with are: Code Enforcement, Public Works Department, Health Department, Fire Department, Parks Department, Tenant Resource, Board of Education, and Public Service Electric & Gas. Area residents must be empowered to combat neighborhood problems. Being aware of all available resources is important. Contact Information Lieutenant Ronald Borgo Police Community Partnership Program East Orange Police Department 61 Northmunn Avenue East Orange, NJ 07019 (201) 266-5070 (201) 675-7311 fax Oregon Family Violence Intervention Steering Committee Statement of the Problem Domestic violence is a serious social problem in Multnomah County. In 1994, 21 or one-third of the homicides in Portland were committed in domestic violence situations, and law enforcement officers were dispatched to over 17,000 domestic violence incidents. In addition to calling 911, victims of domestic violence call crisis lines and shelters at an even higher rate for support, information and referral to services, and to find safety for themselves and their children. Crisis lines received over 29,000 calls with requests for shelter for nearly 28,000 women and children. Unfortunately, only 1,200 women and children (less than 10%) could be placed in domestic violence shelters. By 1987, it had become clear to many people involved in intervention of domestic violence situations that coordination of services, communication among agencies, and a clear vision of a more effective system were needed to formulate the most effective response to domestic violence. In that year, the Family Violence Intervention Steering Committee was formed. Since that time, the Committee has developed comprehensive strategies to address the problem of domestic violence and has pursued specific collaborative solutions. In their 1991 report, From Harassment to Homicide, the Committee stated that: Although incidents of domestic violence in Multnomah County exceed those from gang violence or drug overdose, to date no commensurate public outrage, planning, or dedication of funds has resulted. Instead misconceptions about domestic violence abound. Abusive relationships are deemed to be private matters, with the victim at fault for "choosing" to stay -- even if she has children, no income, and no place to go. Little attention has been given to this victim-blaming or to the lack of coordination that permeates this community's official response to domestic violence. Shelters and services for victims are grossly underfunded. Intervention with perpetrators is almost nonexistent. Goals and Objectives The Committee is a collaborative effort that has developed over the last eight years. It provides leadership and a forum for solving problems and developing partnerships, and a shared vision among the agencies and bureaus that address domestic violence. Each member agency is independent of the Steering Committee and has its own goals and objectives. The process of collaboration and coordination involves a continuous assessment of the system in place, an evaluation of its successes and failures, and steps to balance and improve the response. The overriding goal of the Steering Committee and its member agencies is to effectively prevent, intervene in, and reduce domestic violence in Multnomah County. The mission of the Family Violence Intervention Steering Committee is to provide an inter-agency forum for developing, implementing, and assessing a coordinated response to domestic violence in the City of Portland and Multnomah County. The objectives of the Committee are to: share information about local responses to domestic violence in order to decrease its incidence in the community; plan, develop, implement, and monitor an integrated services model of effective intervention in domestic violence; focus public attention on the problem of domestic violence and develop community resources to deter it; and propose and support legislation, ordinances, and other public policy protocols to further the objectives of the Committee. Program Components Twenty-two public and private agencies are now members of the Steering Committee, and ten to twenty other agencies regularly participate in meetings, planning processes, and activities to prevent or intervene in domestic violence. Steering Committee members include: local shelters and crisis lines, legal advocates for survivors, criminal and civil justice providers (public defenders, Community Corrections, Courts, District Attorney), law enforcement units (Portland Police Bureau, Sheriff's Office), health care providers, batterers' treatment providers, Children's Services Division, and key funders (City, County, and United Way). The Steering Committee with its sub-committees and the formal and informal relationships that develop among its members is the forum for coordination and development of policies, programs, and problem solving. The following activities of the Committee are in place. Emergency Intervention: Crisis lines, shelters, police/sheriff, and health care providers are usually the first points of contact for people seeking help in domestic violence situations. There are five domestic violence shelters with crisis lines and two other crisis lines available in the County. This safety network for victims and their children provides support, information and referral by phones, and safe shelter, transportation, advocacy, case management, material support, and domestic violence education. The committee also has motel voucher money available on a limited basis to get victims out of dangerous situations on a short-term basis. The police/sheriff departments respond to reports of family disturbance 911 calls. Officers are statutorily mandated to arrest the primary perpetrator when the officer has probable cause to believe that an assault or other crime has occurred between family members or when the officer believes that a restraining order has been violated. In addition to actions taken by officers at the scene, a domestic violence unit was formed in 1993. The objectives of this unit are to assist victims, reduce overall violence, and conduct follow-up investigations on domestic misdemeanor cases, particularly if children are present, weapons, drugs, or alcohol were used, or if the incident is a repeat offense. The committee is currently studying how felony cases are handled by the law enforcement system. Criminal Remedies: Criminal remedies, intended to prevent future violence, give the perpetrator the message that domestic violence is not acceptable to the community. The objectives of the Domestic Violence Unit District Attorney are to stop the cycle of domestic violence, to seek appropriate sanctions against defendants, and to assist the victims. The unit is committed to prosecuting domestic violence crimes aggressively, in some cases without the victim's participation. This Unit, the Courts, and Community Corrections all participate in a deferred sentencing program for batterers, including treatment, intensive supervision, and jail time if the perpetrators fail to complete the treatment or re-offend. The objective of this program is to reduce re-offenses in 70% of those completing the program. Defendants who qualify for this program are misdemeanants who have no prior convictions for crimes against a person and have not previously participated in a deferred sentencing program. Civil Remedies: Civil remedies consist of Family Abuse Prevention Act Restraining Orders and divorce and custody orders. The objective of all of these civil remedies is the separation of the victim from the perpetrator. Two agencies, Portland Women's Crisis Line and the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, provide advocacy and assistance at the courthouse for survivors who wish to obtain a restraining order. Additionally, the Volunteer Lawyers Project and Lewis and Clark Legal Clinic provide lawyers or third-year law students to assist petitioners in obtaining a contested order. Multnomah County Legal Aid's Family Law Center provides free attorneys to assist survivors in divorce, custody, visitation, and child support hearings. The County Court Family Law Department has five judges who handle cases involving restraining orders and the deferred sentencing program. These judges grant and vacate orders, hold hearings on contested cases, and determine violations of orders. They also hold 30-day and 6-month hearings on the status of deferred sentencing program participants. Results and Impact Performance Measures In From Harassment to Homicide: UPDATE, 1994, the Committee made 38 recommendations for more effective intervention in domestic violence in the following categories. General Recommendations: standardize date collection; design and evaluate a model for a multidisciplinary response team; institutionalize training; provide stable funding to staff; promote a community intolerance for domestic violence; examine the relationship between domestic violence and substance abuse; assure an adequate response to domestic violence in gay and lesbian relationships; and encourage information sharing between child abuse prevention programs and committee members. Services for Victims: seek stable funding from local government, large corporations, and individual donors for existing shelters; increase shelter capacity and transitional housing; support efforts to recruit attorneys and law students to assist in civil remedies; develop stable funding for court advocates; and study the occurrence of crimes committed by domestic violence victims at the behest of their abusers and identify appropriate recourse. Intervention with Perpetrators: support the development of statewide standards and protocols for jailing, bail, release, sentencing, treatment, and probation for offenders; and develop a closer relationship between the County Sheriff's Office and the Committee. Law Enforcement: assist in comprehensive training for police officers and other law enforcement professionals, with a focus on officers making cases without participation of the victim; create a resource directory for use by all police officers; and monitor community policing. Civil Justice System: improve the justice system's response; provide judges, attorneys, and court personnel with up-to-date information in the field; provide ongoing training for judges, attorneys, and court personnel; and locate adequate, private space for restraining order applicants and provide child care for their children. Criminal Justice System: train all criminal court attorneys and judges; develop batterer intervention programs and treatment and misdemeanor sentencing guidelines; and support communication between the District Attorney and Corrections. Corrections: increase and stabilize funding for deferred sentencing intensive supervision; train all corrections staff; develop standardized release criteria and sanctions; and implement vigilant supervision of all domestic violence offenders. Implementation Problems and Successes The Committee was originally convened and staffed in 1987 as part of a federally funded pilot program through the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges to study the response of the court system to domestic violence. After the Committee's results were published in Family Violence: Improving Court Practice in 1989, it continued to meet and broadened its focus. One of its major successes since then has been the ongoing collaboration and communication among agencies which address domestic violence. In the last three years, there has been a significant increase in the number and kinds of agencies represented at the monthly meetings. Planning by individual agencies (especially public/governmental) is now done on a collaborative basis with the participation of victim advocates and other representatives from appropriate agencies. Barriers to collaboration and communication have been many, including disinterest by agencies or individuals in the agencies, historic difficulties or animosity between agencies, differing philosophies or modes of operation among agencies, lack of consistent funding for staffing, and maintaining interest and involvement over eight years. The problem of differing philosophies has been rectified through law suits against government agencies to contest old philosophies and the build-up of personal relationships among personnel from many agencies. The funding issue can be resolved by obtaining hard funding from private corporations and the community in addition to or in lieu of government grants. Isolation among organizations such as the District Attorney's Office and law enforcement magnified the importance of listening, a function provided by the Steering Committee. Successes and Accomplishments The Committee and its member agencies have had many successes in the 4 years since From Harassment to Homicide was published, including: In 1993 and 1994, the Committee and the City of Portland received grants totalling $384,000 from the Edward Byrne Memorial Formula Grant Program to assist in the development of a coordinated response. Key components of these grants are: extensive training for police in the domestic violence unit; a bilingual, bicultural Outreach Advocate to assist the police domestic violence unit with the Hispanic community; one Parole/Probation Officer to handle intensive probation supervision of perpetrators; shelter for 250 women and their children; intensive services for victims who are involved with drugs, alcohol, and gangs; advocacy and referrals for victims to obtain restraining orders; and legal assistance for low-income victims. Almost 3,500 restraining orders were issued last year. From July 1994 to December 1994, this number increased by 19%. This is due in part to increased advocacy and assistance received by women at the court house and to the activities of the police domestic violence unit. In 1993, the Portland Police founded a domestic violence unit. Last year, this unit reviewed over 5,000 reports of domestic violence made by "street officers." They followed-up on 621 of these reports and gathered additional evidence for prosecution. They also assisted victims in obtaining restraining orders and other resources and enforced these orders. In some cases, they were able to increase the prosecution from a misdemeanor to a felony. A pilot study by a local research institute has shown a significant increase in victim-initiated prosecutions and applications for restraining orders when this unit has intervened. In the last three years, the District Attorney's Domestic Violence Unit has almost doubled the number of domestic violence cases prosecuted annually. They have a "no drop" policy in felony cases and in certain misdemeanor cases, even if the victim can not participate in the trial. Last year, this unit reviewed over 3,000 cases and prosecuted approximately one-third of these cases. The Committee has been instrumental in obtaining $324,000 annually from City funds for shelter services and $100,000 annually from County general funds for services to children of domestic violence victims. Community Corrections has developed a domestic violence unit which provides intensive supervision to offenders in the deferred sentencing program. This unit has provided supervision to 380 offenders in the last year and a half. Approximately half of those who have left the program have successfully completed it. They have begun to plan the development of an enlarged domestic violence unit which would provide supervision for all domestic violence offenders. Additional successes have included the creation of a standardized policy for release from jail; funding for full-time staff for the Committee; increased legal advocacy for victims in civil actions; endorsement and participation in community fundraising and public awareness campaigns; publication of From Harassment to Homicide: UPDATE; increasing evaluation of the coordinated response through a local research institute; collaboration with and assistance in founding a statewide council on domestic violence; improved data collection, compilation, and release of annual statistics about domestic violence; formation of a committee to study response to serious and repeat offenders; and testimony at hearings and to civic groups. Prospects for Replication Because the Committee is a voluntary association, its success has depended on leadership and initiative by key individuals and on community concern about domestic violence. The Committee has no enforcement power, but has been able to rely on the use of information sharing, influence and mutual support, and peer pressure to obtain its accomplishments. Replication of a collaborative approach such as this has several key components. The participation of victim advocates and/or formerly battered women on the Committee is essential for the development of an effective response. Chiquita Rollins, Domestic Violence Coordinator for the project has said that "one of the most important things that you can do is have victim advocates or victims themselves sit at the table with you. It's so important for law enforcement people, for the shelters, for the prosecutors, (for) corrections, for people at large to hear victims' perspectives of this -- what works and what doesn't work." Support by the Courts or by individual judges is critical in bringing additional players to the table and in carrying out the recommendations of the Committee. Fluidity of structure has allowed the Committee to respond to various issues quickly when they arise by forming ad-hoc sub-committees and by involving new partners or agencies easily. For this to be successful, everyone must come to the table as equals. Contact Information Chiquita Rollins Domestic Violence Coordinator 421 SW Fifth, Second Floor Portland, OR 97204 (503) 248-3691 ext. 7806 (503) 248-3379 fax Pennsylvania Domestic Abuse Response Team (D.A.R.T.) Statement of the Problem Until recently, most prosecutors' offices lacked specialized divisions for family violence. Cases were typically assigned to a generic pool of lawyers, often with little expertise or interest in the complex dynamics and legal issues presented by child abuse, domestic violence, elder abuse, and adult sexual assault. In the last few years the need for specialization has been acknowledged. Many prosecution offices nationwide now have discrete units, each dedicated to a separate specialty. Each unit typically has its own staff, supervisors, protocols, and training. While specialization has undoubtedly increased conviction rates and enhanced victim sensitivity, the separation of family violence into categories of child abuse, domestic violence, elder abuse, and adult sexual assault encourages tunnel vision. To focus on the criminal act while ignoring the familial environment in which it occurs is often to miss the forest for the trees. Inadvertently, this kind of prosecutorial specialization may leave at risk those who are most vulnerable to harm. This problem can be illustrated in the scenario where the father intends to assault the mother but inadvertently injures their child in his path. If the child suffers injury, this case is characterized as child abuse and assigned to the Child Abuse Unit. The father's intended assault on the mother goes unaddressed, and a long history of escalating violence is left unexplored. If at the child abuse trial the mother refuses to testify against the father, she is likely to be condemned as unprotective of her child and possibly subjected to criminal penalties for her refusal to testify. In addition, the mother's failure to cooperate with the prosecution may trigger the involvement of the child welfare system. If the caseworker has no understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence and views child protection as attending exclusively to the child while ignoring the mother's safety concerns, both mother and child may be more harmed than helped by this well-meaning but uninformed response. The prosecution may win the case but leave the victims, both identified and hidden, in a more vulnerable situation than before criminal justice involvement. Winning in cases of family violence must be redefined. The goal must be the protection of both adults and children in the household. In response to this problem, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office merged the Child Abuse Unit with the Domestic Violence Unit to become the Family Violence Unit in 1992. Unit members became aware of how frequently adult sexual assault occurs between intimate partners, sexual violence often being a manifestation of domestic abuse. Many sexual assault survivors need the services of both rape crisis counselors and domestic violence advocates. Prosecutors who handle sexual assault cases must be educated that a sex crime may be the tip of the iceberg in a sea of long-standing violence. With the observation that when more support services are offered and staff is more educated, more women actively cooperate with the prosecution, the Unit decided to take cases of adult sexual assault. Goals and Objectives The goal of the program is to change the vision of the criminal justice system with regard to domestic violence from an adversarial system to a medical model. Program Components The Family Violence and Sexual Assault Unit staff includes 15 prosecutors and three victim advocates (one of whom is Spanish bilingual and bicultural ) who assist with information and support services before, during and after a criminal case. Philadelphia Police Officers do follow-up investigations and safeguard victims from possible intimidation or retaliation by swift arrest if victims are threatened or harassed because of their participation in prosecution. The Unit encourages multidisciplinary coordination and cooperation and works closely with domestic violence, rape crisis, and child advocates. College and law students also volunteer their efforts. In addition, established mental health professionals including a family therapist and a forensic child psychiatrist volunteer their time for case consultation when requested. Domestic Abuse Response Team (D.A.R.T.) It is within the context of this comprehensive approach to prosecuting family violence and sexual assault that the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office adopted a strategy of prevention. Utilizing Federal funding that was designated for crime prevention services, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office created the Domestic Abuse Response Team (D.A.R.T.), an approach to prosecuting domestic violence which focuses its attention on those cases traditionally awarded the least prosecutorial attention: misdemeanors. The vision was that a centralized, coordinated, multidisciplinary response to domestic violence at its earliest criminal manifestation would preempt its escalation into a more serious crime. The D.A.R.T. program targets misdemeanor cases where there are risk factors associated with escalating violence. These factors include a defendant's history of assaultive behavior, substance abuse, threats of homicide or suicide, threats with a gun or knife, obsessive stalking behavior, violence where there are young children in the home, and where there are ongoing child custody problems between the defendant and the complainant. According to Mimi Rose, Chief of the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Unit, "Multidisciplinary work is extremely important. The prosecutor in our system is the hammer, but if all you have is a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail, and it's not, and you must work with other people." To that end, the D.A.R.T. team consists of two prosecutors who became part of the team voluntarily, a victim advocate, and a domestic violence counselor from a counseling agency who is housed within the prosecutor's office. D.A.R.T. members select domestic violence cases meeting program criteria. The complainants are contacted by the victim advocate within 24 hours. The victim advocate provides information about the court process, and the D.A.R.T. assists the complainant with safety concerns and counseling referrals for herself and the children when requested. The team's theory is "If you keep an open door, people will come when they're ready to come." The D.A.R.T. prosecutor reviews the case for any additional evidence collection or investigation that may be necessary such as 911 radio tapes, photographs, additional witnesses, or hospital records. At trial the complainant is accompanied by the victim advocate. If the case is continued, the same D.A.R.T. prosecutor remains with the case at each listing until disposition. Complainants are invited to attend support groups and the new witness workshop program which provides information about a trial in a courtroom setting. Children in these situations may receive a separate advocate or attorney to ensure that their needs are being met. At the conclusion of a case, the D.A.R.T. team has follow-up contact with the complainant by phone or mail to see if there are any continuing problems with which it can assist. During weekly case conferences, D.A.R.T. members meet to discuss both case-specific and systemic issues which need collaborative intervention. Results and Impact Performance Measures Some of the measures of success for this program are the recidivism rate of domestic violence offenders, victim satisfaction with the program, and life improvement of the victim. Implementation Problems and Successes At the beginning of this program, there was not enough leadership. The criminal justice system was apathetic to changing its role from a law enforcement to a more social work oriented focus. People with a vision need to step up from the start to energize the other players, including prosecutors and law enforcement officers, and begin to reprioritize cases and redefine winning. The D.A.R.T. program experienced an initial reluctance on the part of the police to cooperate with the new outlook towards domestic violence. Lawsuits as well as directives from the Chief of Police have helped to change their attitudes. A big selling point for the program has been the inherent involvement of children. Once the officers understood the impact on children, they were more willing to help. Successes and Accomplishments The program has served 400 people since its inception. It has created a ripple effect in that the police departments want domestic violence units in all of the districts in the State based on the Philadelphia model. The attitude of police officers toward victims has changed in Philadelphia. Police are listening to victims and working with their requests. Prospects for Replication This program can be easily replicated because it only needs one individual to be a family violence specialist to complete the unit which consists of prosecutors and police officers who are already in place. This specialist must work with the prosecutor but not for the prosecutor to maintain victim confidentiality and trust. All staff on the project must redefine winning from making convictions to making people safer. Cross training by outside sources of criminal justice professionals is important to the success of this program in order to redefine the roles of prosecutors and law enforcement professionals. Choosing police officers who want to do this type of work and training them appropriately is also very important to setting up a D.A.R.T. program. Program staff must work with the victim to obtain what she wants out of the situation. For example, she may want the abuser to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings instead of going to jail. The trust and confidence of the victim are extremely important to the success of the case, and criminal justice professionals must emphasize that they are there to help her in any way that they are able. In addition, the problems of mothers and children cannot be separated into different issues; protecting the mother is protecting the child. For success, program staff must speak to the community about domestic violence to make the issue more visible. The Philadelphia Police Department modeled the D.A.R.T. team in the form of a domestic violence unit in all of Philadelphia's districts. Contact Information Mimi Rose Chief, Family Violence and Sexual Assault Unit Philadelphia District Attorney's Office 1421 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 (215) 686-8014 (215) 686-8049 fax Puerto Rico Minors Diversion Program Statement of the Problem The Puerto Rico Juvenile Justice System was challenged by the number of minors getting involved in antisocial and illegal behavior. The numbers were growing fast, especially because of the serious offenders. There was also a large number of minors entering the system for the first time charged with Class I and II offenses. The Juvenile Justice System was aware of the relation between drug abuse and juvenile delinquency. The communities demanded more action. In 1986 a new law for minors, Law 88, was enacted. In this new law, diversion was statutorily introduced to attend to the preventive and rehabilitative aspects of criminal justice. However, the community was not very enthusiastic since there were few diversion programs sponsored by the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, and these programs were not very successful. The Juvenile Administration facilities were and still are crowded. They lacked personnel, rehabilitation services, and other necessities. The social and economic costs were extremely high for the government. The effectiveness of the agencies' services to the minors was hampered by low morale, lack of responsibility, lack of funding, and lack of community support and awareness. The Puerto Rico Justice Department decided to establish a well structured and organized Diversion Program. The Diversion Program was implemented in Puerto Rico to comply with Law 88, creating the Special Prosecutors for Minors and other support personnel. This Law guarantees minors of both sexes, 17 years of age and under, who have been charged with committing a Class I offense or a first Class II offense, that they can be granted a diversion into a public or private rehabilitation program in the community through a formal contract. Through this program, certain minors can be prevented from getting into the formal prosecution system, and those who have already entered do not become recidivists. Goals and Objectives The first goal of the Diversion Program is to divert minors from the formal adjudication process in the courts and to provide follow-up to minors to prevent and control juvenile delinquency in Puerto Rico. The objectives to reach this goal are: to establish the program island-wide in each of the thirteen (13) Judicial Districts; to disseminate information about the program to all law enforcement agencies and other related agencies to explain how diversion can be used to prevent juvenile delinquency; to divert minors from the judicial process into public and private rehabilitation programs; and to establish an evaluation system for individuals being referred, evaluated, recommended, placed, and released due to compliance or non-compliance with the program. The second goal is to help minors fulfill their diversion contracts' conditions and to develop social and emotional skills to prevent recidivism. The objectives designed for reaching this goal are: to follow-up diverted minors; to design a program to help parents or legal guardians get acquainted with their responsibilities and roles with regard to child and adolescent care; to enroll diverted minors and their parents or legal guardians in a fourteen-hour comprehensive workshop discussing the areas of resolving problems, becoming a functioning family, experiencing being a victim, clarifying family roles, and other topics; to promote "stay out" and "say no to drugs;" and to furnish progress reports and attend review hearings in court. Program Components Services The Diversion Program provides multiple services for minors granted diversion into a public or private rehabilitation program in the community. After probable cause is determined by a judge, the minor's lawyer, parent, or the juvenile prosecutor requests that the minor be considered for diversion. The juvenile prosecutor then makes a referral to the program. The referred candidate is evaluated by the social worker in coordination with a special investigator. They gather information from court records and other human service professionals who have provided him services. An appointment for an interview with the minor and his parents or legal guardian is required. The evaluation process also includes a community visit to discover the minor's relations with school personnel, community members, neighbors, peers, and others. At the same time, the social worker looks for community resources that are available as possible service providers. All the information about the minor is gathered into a social evaluation report and delivered to the juvenile prosecutor with the social worker's recommendation. If it is favorable and the juvenile prosecutor agrees, the social worker schedules an appointment with the minor and his/her parent or legal guardian, the defense attorney, the receptor agency representative, and the juvenile prosecutor to discuss the case and the diversion contract. If the conditions are accepted, the diversion contract is signed and submitted by a motion to the judge. The contract is very specific about the minor's and parents' or guardian's responsibilities as well as the agency that will provide the rehabilitation services. If the judge approves diversion for the minor, he imposes the diversion terms and sets the date for the next hearing review. The social worker then prepares and submits an official referral to the receptor agency. Once the minor is placed, the social worker or the agent follow-up his conduct twice a month. If there is a problem, new planning or modification of the contract terms may take place. The receptor agency submits progress reports quarterly or upon request. The agency representative also attends the review hearing and gives recommendations to keep the minor diverted or to end the contract. In the meantime, lab tests on a regular basis determine if any illegal substances have been used. If the test is positive for drug use, a case discussion takes place with the same group that participated in setting up the diversion contract, and the rehabilitation plan is modified. If the youth continues to use drugs, it is recommended to the juvenile prosecutor that diversion cease, and the minor returns to the formal adjudicative process. If he/she finishes the diversion contract conditions, all charges are dismissed. If the youth's parents or guardian fail to support the child in the program (i.e., fail to take them to scheduled appointments), they can be brought up on neglect or abuse charges. The diversion program can be extended if necessary to help the child. The Program also provides an intensive and comprehensive fourteen-hour seminar divided into six or seven workshops for the minors and their parents or legal guardian. A curriculum as well as a Rules and Procedures Manual were designed and reviewed to implement the seminars. At the completion of the workshops, a graduation ceremony takes place with special guests invited such as distinguished athletes, singers, musicians, government officials, and the Attorney General. A follow-up program was designed to operate twice a month focusing on diverted minors remaining active at the end of the fiscal year. The most recent component is the Summer Camp for the diverted minors, their parents or legal guardians, and siblings. Staff The Minors and Family Affairs Office Director is responsible for the overall functioning of the program. The juvenile prosecutors in charge are responsible for the overall functioning of the program at their offices (13 District Offices). The Program Director - Social Worker Specialist coordinates the programmatic and administrative activities of the Program, providing technical assistance and specialized training to the staff, evaluation, and monitoring of the program. The program team is composed of key personnel including the juvenile prosecutors, social workers, special agents, and secretaries at each district office. The Program Director trains the program personnel. Sometimes the budget allows for training on the mainland. Results and Impact Performance Measures The performance of the Diversion Program is measured in several ways. First, it is measured by the monthly statistic report which shows the number of minors referred, evaluated, recommended, placed, and released due to compliance or non-compliance with conditions. The Program Director gathers all of the statistical reports and tallies them and conducts administrative and programmatic monitoring, which identifies problems and needs. In addition, a lengthy study was carried out in order to determine the effectiveness of the program. Another way the program is measured is through auditing and monitoring by Federal Funds Division personnel. Implementation Problems and Successes The Diversion Program experienced some difficulties in the implementation process. As stated before, in Puerto Rico there were approximately 18 diversion programs which failed to accomplish their goals due to lack of structure, little or no follow-up, and funding problems. The community was demanding more action, and the law enforcement agencies related to Juvenile Justice were suffering from lack of enthusiasm with regard to diversion. Program administrators had to solicit everyone's support and convince them to give the Diversion Program an opportunity to work. Funding was received from a federal grant. Successes and Accomplishments The Diversion Program has been very successful. The table shows the program's performance from fiscal year 1989-90 through fiscal year 1993-94. TABLE I DISTRIBUTION OF MINORS DIVERTED INTO THE PROGRAM - BOTH SUCCESSFUL AND NOT SUCCESSFUL - FISCAL YEARS 1989-90 TO 1993-94 Year Balance from Previous Year Youth Diverted to the Program Youth Placed into Agencies Youth Finishing the Program (Successful or Not) Youth Completing the Contract Youth Not Completing the Contracts 1989-90 0 159 159 56 56 0 1990-91 75 446 521 204 156 48 1991-92 306 460 766 425 347 78 1992-93 337 389 726 414 357 57 1993-94 315 423 738 381 315 66 Grand Total 1,033 1,877 2,910 1,780 1,231 249 The evaluation report submitted by the Division of Federal Funds stated that "during this period of operation, the program has attained a 100% performance rate as to the goals and objectives established." The Diversion Program has gained great support from the Attorney General's Office, lawyers, judges, community groups, and private organizations such as religious groups. The program's greatest achievement was to be recognized by the State government as a very important and needed program, adopting it as a permanent State program after Federal funding ended in 1994. The program has also reported the following accomplishments: in Fiscal year 1989-90, it was established in 8 out of 12 district offices; it has now expanded to all 12 offices; other government agencies have been opening service programs for diverted minors, such as the Voluntary Corps of Puerto Rico; the awareness program has had an overwhelming impact among community members as evidenced by their positive responses to surveys and the high referral rate of the program from parents who have been involved; to enhance its communication, the program produces printed brochures, radio and television appearances, conferences conducted by professionals, town meetings, and workshops; the program provides a 14-hour workshop for juvenile divertees and their parents or legal guardians; the substance abuse tests for juveniles attending the program are conducted by the Forensic Sciences Lab Institute; staffing has grown from 18 to 32 employees; in 1994 a Summer Camp Program Pilot Project which includes parental participation was established which will be expanded island wide for 1995; and the program's clients are 97% drug free. Prospects for Replication To replicate the program, a Minors Law which includes a diversion mechanism is needed. Community support and cooperation from the Juvenile Justice System and Law Enforcement Agencies are also needed. Judges involved with the program must be told to be tough with the receptor agencies to make sure that the youth in the program are receiving adequate services. Since the program depends upon the availability of services in private and government agencies, institutions, or programs, an intensive interagency relationship is needed. The program has strong potential for replication because it meets common needs. Contact Information Blanca Collazo de Mollfulleda Director Minors and Family Affairs Office Puerto Rico Justice Department P.O. Box 192 San Juan, PR 00902 (809) 729-2051 (809) 729-2031 Marcelino Oyola Cintrĸn Director of Diversion Program Minor and Family Affairs Office Puerto Rico Justice Department P.O. Box 192 San Juan, PR 00902 (809) 729-2031 (809) 729-2076 (809) 729-2593 fax South Carolina Fairfield County Sheriff's Success Academy Statement of the Problem Fairfield County is a poor, rural county (population 22,300) situated off the interstate corridor of I-77 between Columbia, SC and Charlotte, NC. With less than 50 local and county law enforcement agents to cover the 696 square miles of this vast county, Fairfield is in a vulnerable position for drug-related crimes, domestic violence, and homicides. With high unemployment and few positive alternative activities for youth, violent youth offenders are emerging at a dramatic rate. Like many rural areas, this county has no community centers or other sites to serve as a community focal point. Families living below the poverty level and headed by females total 47% of the population, and the unemployment rate, the third highest in South Carolina, has risen to a dismal 9.5%. According to the Sheriff's Office, an increased number of drug dealers and other criminal elements have moved to Fairfield County in the past several years to prey on the county's youth. Since 33% of the total population of the county is under 18 and law enforcement agents are stretched to cover the entire county, the need for pro-active delinquency prevention programs has become a top priority. Serving the 11th largest school district in South Carolina with an enrollment of 4,250 students, the Sheriff's Office experiences first-hand the results of delinquency, adolescent gangs, and youth violence. Also, this district has the 11th highest dropout rate in South Carolina for grades 9 through 12. Realizing that middle school is such a pivotal time for youth and that research shows that many students drop out of school during the summer between 8th and 9th grades, the Sheriff's Office remains committed to targeting 8th graders, especially those from environments where violence or incarceration has been "the norm" or those with indications of other high risk factors. As demonstrated by the Sheriff's Success Academy (SSA), the Sheriff's Office is committed to pro-active, collaborative delinquency prevention programs as a deterrent to youth violence and crime. Goals and Objectives The primary goals of the Sheriff's Success Academy are: (1) to provide a unique environment in which adolescents can learn and practice skills and attitudes that will help to prevent violent and delinquent behavior and safely participate in positive risk-taking activities; and (2) to provide opportunities for positive interaction with law enforcement officers and other adult role models who care about their futures. The following objectives were established to meet the overall goals: to engage students in a process where they will have increased involvement, interaction, and ownership in the sessions while learning to trust and respect each other, thereby helping them to grow into more responsible, contributing individuals; to engage parents/significant others in a process that strengthens the family unit and emphasizes social capital and giving back to the community; to expose students to the real world of law enforcement by working closely with individual officers as mentors and role models; to utilize the ideas, resources, and volunteers from the total community through collaboration and mutual respect; to expose students to a wide array of career options available to them, so they have a greater sense of hope and motivation and can make good choices about their futures; and to promote public awareness of the SSA and the old African proverb, "It takes a whole village to raise a child." Program Components Currently, the Sheriff's Success Academy is in its second year, although the new SSA class has only been meeting since December 1994. All of the major components are up and running, but the program is constantly being readjusted and improved. YOUTH The criteria for being accepted into the SSA are that the student is not in trouble with the law; shows symptoms of behavior problems in school; has attendance problems at school; has been held back a grade for one or more years; and has no support at home. Selections for the program are made through the help of teachers and guidance counselors. Twenty-five eighth grade students from three schools (one private and two public) voluntarily participate in the SSA. These youth represent a diverse group and have quickly begun to bond. Their willingness to take positive risks is rapidly increasing. Ten of last year's SSA graduates have been selected and trained as Team Leaders and are involved as positive role models and mentors, while continuing to develop their own skills and attitudes. In addition to building a safe, caring community, the SSA incorporates periodic student incentives (e.g., t-shirts, rewards, and a formal graduation ceremony) that enhance pride, build a sense of "family," and acknowledge to the community that SSA members are junior ambassadors to the Sheriff's Office. Transportation and all expenses are covered for all SSA participants. The goal is to maintain a consistent core of twenty-five eighth graders and ten Team Leaders. PROGRAMS/SESSIONS The SSA sessions (comprised of 12 to 15 exciting, meaningful Saturday, weekend, and after-school events) provide opportunities for the SSA students to be exposed to experiences that motivate and broaden their horizons and enhance their self-concepts. These sessions focus on: Trust, Respect, Communications, Team-Building, Conflict Resolution, Cultural Sensitivity, Law-Related Education, Career Awareness, and The Arts. As students proceed through the program, they begin to integrate these new skills, behaviors, and attitudes that act as buffers against the risk factors and negative influences in their lives. PARENTS The SSA established an active Parent Support Network that meets on a regular basis and offers guidance and mutual nurturing to the parents and significant others of the SSA members. A Parent Speak-Out is held for the new parents. Here they identify youth issues of concern to them and go through an interactive process to determine appropriate solutions to these problems. Also, each year at least one Parent/Youth/Community Project is required that involves family members working together with volunteers to give back to the community. Last year the parents and SSA members worked diligently with the deputies and other community groups to set up and sponsor the annual Sheriff's Family Day. This is an event that draws at least 1,500 families from across the county to become acquainted with law enforcement officers and services. Parents have offered their services to transport students and/or parents when necessary and to serve as "wait staff" at the formal dinners and other events. A group of parents from the first SSA class is continuing to chaperon at sessions and to encourage some of the new parents, as well. The goal is to engage 75% of the parents in SSA activities and 95% in graduation. LAW ENFORCEMENT The SSA recruits and trains deputies and other law enforcement officers as mentors and chaperons. Having these individuals play an active role is a strong deterrent to youth violence and crime. Some of the officers prefer to be assigned to an SSA student as a mentor who meets with the youth on a regular basis. The students thoroughly enjoy having the Sheriff and officers participate in the activities. Whomever attends a session becomes part of the extended family, which solves problems, makes group decisions, shares, and supports each other. The goal is to actively involve 25 officers. Another aspect of the SSA involves tours and discussions with officers, personnel, and inmates at the county detention center, the State Department of Juvenile Justice, and other law enforcement agencies. Such visits create a "reality check" into the criminal justice system as a legal process and as an environment for a multitude of careers. COMMUNITY COLLABORATION The program is built upon an active Citizens Advisory Committee which meets on a monthly basis. This group of twenty-five represents a cross-section of the community. They provide input and resources for the SSA. With the help of these individuals, physical facilities for the monthly sessions are reserved, and after-school tours of their plants are scheduled. Many of the CAC members also serve as chaperons for events. A Mentoring Sub-Committee oversees the process of assigning caring, positive adult role models to SSA students as a complementary support system to the home environment. Realizing that effective mentoring can utilize a variety of procedures, the volunteers on the subcommittee offer interested officers and adults two options: to be matched with a specific SSA member with whom they will meet on a regular basis or to attend a series of four or more sessions and interact positively with all of the SSA members. In either situation, the students are afforded the opportunity to get to know officers and other adults as positive influences in their lives. Fliers have been mailed county-wide to 122 churches of all races and creeds seeking 35 interested individuals as new mentors. Follow-up phone calls will be made. Several clergy have offered their facilities and services to the program. In addition, some of the local businesses and industries, including Mack Trucks, Inc. and Hon Corporation, have centered employee projects on the SSA, including mentoring and sponsoring trips to the Columbia Bombers baseball games. Some employees have even collected money to make donations. The goal is to actively engage more than 100 community volunteers with the SSA. CAREER AWARENESS Since the majority of the students have limited access to travel outside of the county, it is necessary to take advantage of every opportunity afforded the SSA to help the youth gain a realistic picture of potential jobs available locally and statewide. Planning sessions at different facilities around the county and touring various types of work sites demonstrates to the youth a world of possibilities. This summer the SSA will be utilizing the local business community in a Shadowing Program to expand SSA students' career awareness. The Fairfield County Rotary Club has agreed to participate in this effective approach to exposing students to careers in which they have interests or talents. Members of the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce, individual business owners, and county agencies will also be invited to host a student for a Shadowing experience. The goal is to schedule a minimum of 35 visits for interested students. MEDIA AND PUBLIC AWARENESS The SSA ensures that local and State media provides meaningful and accurate coverage of the program and the commitment by the Sheriff's Office and the community. Whenever possible the SSA publicly recognizes SSA student and volunteer accomplishments. The goal is to schedule media coverage or public presentations once a month. Results and Impact Performance Measures One measure of the program's success is the number of students who receive an improvement award or academic award at school by the end of the academic year. Implementation Problems and Successes The most difficult part of establishing the Sheriff's Success Academy was that the first year there was only one staff person. Having adequate personnel is essential to the project's ability to positively impact every participant. Now that the program has an additional part-time staff member, it has made a difference in the ability to have regular contacts with students and parents and to maintain improved records and data. Historically, in Fairfield County there has been a lack of parent involvement in any program. Motivating SSA parents was no easy task, but nurturing and strengthening the small group of devoted parents became a priority of the project. These determined individuals remain a focal point for parents. Another problem is that there are few officers in the county spread over a large geographic area. It is difficult to depend on their attendance at functions. It is also hard to evaluate the officers' performance with regard to the program because their attendance is so erratic. Successes and Accomplishments On September 27, 1994, twenty 9th grade students graduated from the first Sheriff's Success Academy. Ten of those youth have been through additional leadership training and are now serving as SSA Team Leaders for the second SSA class, which meets from December 1994 to September 1995. This year's group currently has signed up 35 students, and a core of 25 is anticipated to attend consistently. During the course of the program, students have actively participated in the following sessions: Orientation; Law-Related Education; Conflict Resolution; Tours including Department of Juvenile Justice, Fairfield County Detention Center, Mack Trucks, WIS-TV, WWDM Radio; Columbia Bombers Triple A Baseball Game; Formal Dinners; Ropes Course (outdoor adventure); Overnight Weekend Experiences; Simulated Disaster Drill for Fairfield County; Original Adventure Days created for the SSA, i.e., Survival Day, Mystery of the Snoop Doggy Dog QT, Space Odyssey, and Luncheon with Kimberly Aiken of Columbia, SC, Miss America 1994; The Arts, writing and directing a play with our own set design; and The Sheriff's Family Day. Not only have improvements occurred in attitudes, behaviors, willingness to take positive risks, and increased responsibilities, but also there have been marked changes in physical demeanor, vocabulary, respect, and a great amount of healthy laughter and smiles. The best measures of success are the beaming faces and genuine hugs from caring participants diverse in race, gender, age, size, and backgrounds. A survey of the participating students at the end of the academic year showed that the kids had connected with better friends, had better grades, and felt better about their community. At the first graduation, six students had volunteered to prepare testimonials and present them to an audience of nearly 100 people, including families, friends, and dignitaries. Another eight students presented an original play for which the entire class created the scenery and wrote the music, song, and script. Six parents from the previous year are actively mentoring and volunteering to assist wherever they are needed. This year's class has a core of parents who are just beginning to reach out to others and renew the process of a parent network. Besides having several articles published in the local and State newspapers, an outstanding segment was recently aired by the local CBS affiliate, and both the NBC and ABC affiliates are scheduled to cover the "lock-in" weekend at Sesquicentennial State Park in March. A comprehensive article on the SSA has appeared in the South Carolina Sheriff's Magazine, the Lake Wateree Home Owners Association (WHOA) newsletter, and the State Association of Crime Prevention Officers (SACPO) newsletter. The National Sheriff's Association has also requested an article for publication in their next quarterly magazine that reaches thousands of sheriffs and other leaders in law enforcement. Norma M. Higgins, Director of the Sheriff's Success Academy, pointed out another success of the program. "The Department of Juvenile Justice has told us that not one of ... (the) children who has started with our program has ever been seen in their office since the program began a little over one year ago. As embryonic as these statistics are, it's a good beginning." Prospects for Replication Initially, when the SSA was created, it was developed with the idea that it should be easily transported to any community in the country. If it can be successful in a poor rural county with few resources and a volunteer base already overloaded with other community projects, then the SSA can be successfully replicated anywhere. The major ingredient is identifying a director or chairperson with creativity, energy, and vision to bring the collaborative process together. When focusing on the Old African Proverb, "It takes a whole village to raise a child," support and resources can be developed throughout all segments of the community. Since the SSA is not a school-based program, any law enforcement agency or other determined entity could coordinate such an academy. The structure and guidelines are in place. However, since this program has no limits on creativity and scope, the possibilities are vast and exciting. Contact Information Norma M. Higgins Director Sheriff's Success Academy Fairfield County Sheriff's Office P.O. Box 387 Winnsboro, SC 29180 (803) 635-5038 (803) 635-3325 fax Herman Young Sheriff Fairfield County Sheriff's Office P.O. Box 387 Winnsboro, SC 29180 (803) 635-5038 (803) 635-3325 fax Tennessee Weed & Seed Statement of the Problem According to studies and surveys conducted by the Planning Section of the Chattanooga Police Department, drug trafficking and the crime associated with illegal narcotics were ranked as the greatest concerns among residents in public housing, for several reasons. First, street level drug dealers provided a role model for youngsters in public housing complexes. The drug dealers frequently hired youngsters to hold the stash of illegal drugs or to act as look-outs. The youngsters were often impressed with the elaborate material goods such as cars, jewelry, and expensive clothes and shoes worn by criminals. Second, public housing offered a convenient avenue of escape from police. The criminals knew that they could run from police officers on foot and stand a good chance of becoming lost in the crowd or hiding in the apartment of a sympathetic resident. Statistics show that most persons arrested for drug violations in public housing are non-residents. Another reason criminals prefer to operate from public housing complexes is because of the dense concentration of people. The advantages for criminals are that higher levels of traffic are not as conspicuous to police and residents and that residents of an apartment complex are less likely to complain about the increased flow of traffic. Previous efforts to address drug trafficking in public housing did not alleviate the problem. This is demonstrated by the number of drug arrests by police in the targeted complexes. Some of these efforts included undercover drug operations, street level reverses which target users in order to promote demand reduction, and Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) programs for youngsters in the complexes. During the period before the Weed & Seed program, 485 persons were arrested and charged with a total of 546 drug violations in the targeted complexes. According to safety surveys conducted by the local housing authority, many residents reported that they did not feel safe in their apartment or in the complex and some residents reported that they slept on the floor of their apartment for fear of being struck by a stray bullet. In the Harriet Tubman development, nine murders occurred during calendar year 1992. A recreational facility was constructed on this site and was operated for several years by the Cityūs Department of Recreation. Due to safety concerns several years ago, the facility was closed. Goals and Objectives The goals of the program were to reduce the incidence of drug trafficking and the crime associated with drug sales and usage in the targeted complexes. It was hoped that, as a result of the reduced drug activity, the public housing complexes could be a safer, more peaceful place to live. Another goal of the program was to provide residents the opportunity to become responsible for their communities, identify goals, and develop strategies to achieve those goals. In addition to safety issues, a common concern of residents was their inability to obtain sufficient employment to move from public housing and assistance and become self-sufficient. Some residents did not graduate from high school. Many wanted to go to college in order to obtain or improve marketable job skills. The focus of the program is two-fold. The weed portion involves intensive enforcement to address crime and safety concerns in the complexes. The seed portion is designed to organize the residentsū associations of the targeted communities, the management of public housing, and law enforcement into cohesive groups. These groups are responsible for identifying problems encountered by the residents of their respective complexes, identifying available resources, and developing strategies which utilize the available resources to address the issues raised. Program Components Through a partnership between the police, public housing residents, and the public housing authority, certain needy developments were targeted for the Weed & Seed program. The first step of program implementation was carried out by meeting with residents and management to identify safety concerns in the targeted complexes. Intensive enforcement was provided by utilizing police officers on an overtime basis in conjunction with police officers assigned to the Public Housing section of Chattanooga. At the same time, management of public housing began a graffiti eradication campaign in the targeted complexes. Program administrators requested and received assistance in cleaning complex grounds from the Community Corrections program. Police officers maintained a high visibility to prevent the return of open criminal activity in the complexes. Residents stated that a major safety problem in the complexes was caused by non-residents selling drugs in the developments. Signs were posted to warn trespassers that they would be arrested. A stringent lease enforcement program was adopted to identify problem occupants and remove them from the complexes. Upon recommendation of the residents and police, a policy of conducting background investigations of applicants to public housing was instituted by the housing authority in order to prevent problems. Results and Impact Performance Measures The program anticipated a reduction in the incidence of drug arrests and charges in the targeted complexes. Another desired result was to instill pride in residents so they would no longer tolerate crime in their communities, banding together to attack the problem. Implementation Problems and Successes The program was received by the targeted complexes in a variety of ways. The notion of weed enforcement was resisted by some residents. Shortly after implementation, a relative of their residentsū association president was arrested on the site for selling narcotics. The program efforts were better received after a new president was elected. Residents in other communities were well organized and were able to accomplish a great deal with the assistance of the program. One development is currently undergoing an extensive modernization program, and the residentūs association will require restructuring at the conclusion of the modernization. Successes and Accomplishments Initially, success was measured by drug arrests and decreases in crime and drug activity. Drug trafficking was moved away from the complex. To truly measure success, a standard to measure quality-of-life was needed. A survey of residents, asking them if they felt safer, was relied on more than crime statistics. The residents are more satisfied now. They call the police more often, indicating greater confidence in law enforcement services. There are now fewer calls and incidents to report than at the beginning of the program, yet officers are often in the projects walking their beats anyway. Relationships with other agencies improved, particularly with the housing authority. Now residents and the police meet with the housing authority on a weekly basis. Programs and the coordination of the delivery of services are discussed. The communities recruited help from Chattanooga State Community College and the Private Industry Council. Learning centers were established in the two larger targeted complexes to help residents obtain their General Equivalency Diploma. An extension campus of Chattanooga State Community College was established on site at the Harriet Tubman development, where residents are now able to take classes for college credit. Residents of the Maurice Poss Homes organized a jobs fair and worked to remove drive-up crack sales in their community. This was accomplished by installing a playground in the center of the development, making through traffic an impossibility. Substance abuse treatment is provided on site at the Maurice Poss Homes and the Spencer McCallie Homes developments. Some younger residents of Emma Wheeler Homes participate in the Youth Bicycle Club. Members of the College Hill Courts have banded together with other residents in the neighborhood to form the Westside Redevelopment Corporation. This group has spearheaded a proposal to achieve site recognition by the national office of Weed & Seed. The major success of Weed & Seed in Chattanooga has been the changing relationship of the police with the residents. In the beginning, the Homes were a "no go" zone for the police. Police went in as a group and left quickly after an arrest. The program was initiated with new, unbiased recruits. Most of those recruits still work in the Homes after more than two years. The number of officers has grown from 10 to 17, and their role has changed. They act as role models and mentors for children. Prospects for Replication The prospect for replication of this program in other sites or other cities is good. The premise of the program is simple. First, allow the residents to identify their community concerns. Traditionally, law enforcement and news media have determined the needs of the community. Second, employ sufficient police resources to address safety concerns and maintain a visible presence. Third, look beyond the membership of a few groups or organizations for resources to help solve problems. Local businesses or other branches of government often are able and willing to provide help in addressing community concerns. Contact Information Inspector Michael Glenn Project Director Weed & Seed Chattanooga Police Department 330 Amnicola Highway Chattanooga, TN 37406 (615) 926-1761 (615) 926-0627 fax Tennessee West Tennessee Regional Drug Prosecution Unit (RDPU) Statement of the Problem According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Memphis is a major distribution point for illegal commerce. Within Memphis and Shelby Counties over the past seven years, there has been a dramatic increase in cocaine use, arrests, convictions, and seizures. There were only 65 juveniles arrested for cocaine-related offenses in Shelby County Juvenile Court in 1986. With the introduction of "crack cocaine," arrests increased 1,200% to over 900 in 1992. In 1986, the Twenty-Eighth Judicial District, primarily a rural area, reported only six cocaine arrests. In 1992, 154 people were arrested for cocaine-related offenses. In 1988, in the Twenty-Sixth Judicial District marijuana cases outnumbered cocaine cases. There were no firearms involved in any of the arrests. By contrast, in 1992, cocaine arrests outnumbered marijuana cases, and firearms, especially handguns, were prevalent when arrests were made. DEA and local rural investigators have reported a marked increase in the presence of crack cocaine in rural areas. Prior to its arrival, drug prosecutions in rural areas were primarily for marijuana. Rural law enforcement officials were hindered because of their unfamiliarity with methods to conduct investigations and prosecutions of street dealers. Rural officers had few or no common links to the cities. Communication and interest from the big counties to the rural areas was almost non-existent. There was a need to develop cooperation to determine who, where, and how drugs and associated violent crimes were being moved into the West Tennessee rural areas. After this information brought about arrests, prosecution needed to be performed by prosecutors familiar with all facets of prosecution of drug offenses and gang violence. Accessible training of rural officers needed to be offered. Goals and Objectives One goal was to institute a mechanism for the judicial districts to target mid and upper-level manufacturers, dealers, and distributors for prosecution under Federal and State statutes. The program also sought to develop an officer-exchange program between the large cities and counties in the judicial districts to allow rural law enforcement agencies to conduct undercover operations. Finally, the program provides a forum for the sharing of experience, training, and expertise between the prosecutors and law enforcement personnel within the districts, which could lead to higher conviction rates throughout the West Tennessee region. Program Components The West Tennessee Regional Drug Prosecution Unit (WTRDPU) began to operate in January 1994. The Unit Director is appointed and approved by the six Judicial District Attorney Generals who represent the sixteen-county target area. Two Criminal Investigators and a Statistician were employed to initiate cooperation and investigation. These operations were implemented out of the Thirtieth Judicial District Attorney General's Office in Memphis, which provides office and phone service at no charge, in addition to vehicles for investigators. An agreement entered into by the Thirtieth Judicial District with the 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th Judicial Districts allows for cooperative investigations and prosecutions to take place in their respective districts. Because rural prosecutors are often unskilled at prosecuting drug offenders, a general prosecutor was appointed to all six districts to prosecute drug cases. Through the RDPU, investigators go into the districts and conduct investigations of drug-related crimes. Undercover officers are also provided to rural jurisdictions through urban police departments by the RDPU to conduct investigations that would be impossible for the local, well-known police officers to conduct. Results and Impact Performance Measures The success of the program is measured in several ways. Prosecution priorities and enforcement operations will be established with targeted individuals and organizations listed for investigation and prosecution both in Federal and State courts. Special emphasis will be placed on those activities affecting more than one judicial district: (1) the creation of a mechanism for the collection and sharing of data and setting of enforcement activities and priorities; (2) the sharing of manpower, enforcement, expertise, and training in both prosecution and enforcement activities between the urban prosecutors and enforcement personnel and their rural counterparts; and (3) the establishment of a Regional Drug Prosecution Unit that will develop a cohesive strategy and enforcement priorities between the six Judicial District Attorney General's Offices and the law enforcement agencies within the West Tennessee area. Implementation Problems and Successes One problem was the amount of time required for the Director and the investigators to travel, limiting the actual time spent with the agencies visited. Two criminal investigators living and working in the rural areas with the rural agencies as part of the RDPU helped limit travel. Another problem was the reluctance of rural law enforcement agencies to accept outside help from large metropolitan areas. This was alleviated by building trust through training, maintaining a presence in the area through two permanently placed RDPU staff members, and working the investigations with the local officers. There was also a reluctance of small law enforcement agencies to share information on their major targets and organizations for fear of being excluded from the arrests and seizures as well as any publicity received from the investigation. These fears were calmed over time as trust built between rural sheriffs and police chiefs and the RDPU. There was also a reluctance on the part of sheriffs or police chiefs in rural areas to allow their only investigator or officer to work in another jurisdiction for fear of liability. This was resolved when the Memphis Police Department took over the liability of officers brought in to work with rural agencies. In addition, sheriffs and police chiefs hesitated to allow officers to leave the department for out-of-county training because of the need for manpower. Finally, judicial district prosecutors failed to relinquish prosecution of their drug and violent crime defendants to the Unit Director for fear of showing an inability to handle the cases, which would overshadow their chances for re-election. Successes and Accomplishments Continued meetings with West Tennessee area law enforcement officers alleviated their fears and the tension of not participating in the initial investigations. The Unit's participation with these rural law enforcement agencies in investigations and the sharing of information with them on the smallest of details brought about trust and accessibility for the West Tennessee Regional Drug Prosecution Unit. Two additional criminal investigators were placed in these rural areas alongside the agencies. "Cooperation, which was almost non-existent before the grant, is now visible and defined with the goal of assisting each other in law enforcement arrest and prosecution," according to Captain Jim Harris of the Western Tennessee Regional Drug Prosecution Unit. Training sessions are held outside Memphis/Shelby County in different locations so that officers may attend from all over the region. Training topics cover items that rural officers need to address including gang recognition and high-risk entry techniques. To date, five sessions have been held, and over 357 officers have been trained, representing 120 law enforcement agencies. Establishment of an officer-loaner program between WTRDPU, Memphis-Shelby County law enforcement agencies, and the rural police and sheriff's departments has been responsible for over seven operations, resulting in over forty-five arrests of drug and violent crime offenders. The officer-loaner program is necessary to rural departments because the members of the rural law enforcement agencies are known by the offenders within the community, and most undercover operations would be impossible without outside assistance. The establishment of a "hot line" in one rural county in the southeastern section of the RDPU targeted area has allowed citizen involvement in the arrest of drug and violent crime offenders. This request came from an area previously not known to take any type of action against drug or violent crime offenders. This joint effort by city, county, and judicial task force officers, along with RDPU investigators, has opened a door which had long been closed to law enforcement agencies in that area. Movement of unit personnel into the Federal Bureau of Investigation Gang Task Force Office increased members' knowledge of gangs and gang problems within the targeted area. Prospects for Replication To replicate this program, enough investigators are needed to cover each county and attorney general. These investigators must have experience in working with law enforcement officers. Contact Information Captain Jim Harris Western Tennessee Regional Drug Prosecution Unit Attorney General's Office 201 Poplar Suite 3-1 Memphis, TN 38103 (901) 747-9554 (901) 576-3937 fax Texas Safe Haven Program: Operation Weed & Seed Statement of the Problem The increased incidence of juvenile-related crime is a clear indication that substantial needs of young people have been neglected. Today's youth, on average, spend barely 9% of their first 18 years in school. The other 91% is spent at home, on playgrounds, and in front of the television. For too many children, the family that should be their protector, advocate, and moral anchor is itself in a state of deterioration. In addition, the neighborhood is a place of menace, violence, drug use, unemployment, and other modern maladies. Enormous financial investments have been made in law enforcement and social services, but all too often these agencies provide their services with little effort to coordinate programs and strategies. Clearly these are problems that are not amenable to solutions by a single agency. Providing a place where youth and other residents can develop relationships, find opportunities to be productive and successful, and enhance their skills -- a safe haven -- fosters an atmosphere necessary for positive development. Goals and Objectives The Safe Haven concept is an important aspect of Weed & Seed. Weed & Seed is a multiagency strategy that weeds out violent crime, gang activity, drug use, and drug trafficking in targeted high-crime neighborhoods and seeds the areas by restoring these neighborhoods through social and economic revitalization efforts. The Weed & Seed strategy recognizes the importance of collaborative initiatives to maximize the impact of existing programs and resources. In the beginning, the objectives for the Safe Haven programs in San Antonio included: identifying and assessing existing Safe Haven programs nationwide, with specific emphasis on drug and alcohol prevention components and the feasibility of introducing Safe Haven programs into public housing developments; defining and developing the concept for a local Safe Haven program; preparing a training curriculum and technical assistance material; providing training and technical assistance for components of the Safe Haven program; and providing financial resources for implementation of the Safe Haven program that focus on drug and alcohol prevention issues. The goals of the program are: to establish a multiservice education center that is free of drugs, alcohol, and violence; to provide direction and capability for organizing and coordinating the delivery of public and private educational, social and justice-system resources for youth, their families, and others through the Safe Haven multiservice center; and to enable neighborhood youth and adults to become productive and law-abiding citizens, free from drug and alcohol abuse and the influence of gangs through the use of Safe Haven multiservice centers. The San Antonio Safe Haven program developed goals specific to the local target area. These goals include: providing a safe environment that will nurture interaction between adults and youth; involving participants in recreational activities; deterring drug and alcohol involvement through drug and alcohol education; offering space for agencies to provide supportive services in the Safe Haven; working with the San Antonio Police Department and other law enforcement agencies in the development of crime prevention programs; and improving the environment in the community through involvement in beautification projects. Program Components A Safe Haven is a multiservice center where a variety of youth and adult services are located in a highly visible and accessible facility that is secure against crime and illegal drug activity. It brings together law enforcement, community services, basic and continuing education, health, recreation, employment, and other key sectors to provide opportunities, skills, and recognition for young people, their family members, and other residents of the community in a safe environment. A special emphasis is placed on education. San Antonio Weed & Seed has established three Safe Haven sites. A community center, a housing project, and a local elementary school provide locations throughout the Weed & Seed target area for the San Antonio Safe Havens. Since virtually all neighborhoods are served by schools, primary consideration was given to locating a Safe Haven at a school site. However, in communities where a school building is not available, other sites to explore include community centers, public housing developments, churches or temples, or other secure, accessible, and appropriately equipped buildings. The Safe Havens are open after school and, to the extent possible, before normal school hours. Operational considerations depend on local conditions. A variety of services and supportive programs (educational, cultural, recreational, health, and justice-related) are made available. Educational programs addressing the social climate such as gang alternatives and drug and alcohol abuse prevention are emphasized. While a primary focus of the Safe Haven program is to provide youth living in the area with productive activities and a safe place to go, parents of the youth and other residents in the target area are also served. The services Safe Havens provide are targeted at people who are in need of assistance and guidance within the community. These services cannot be provided without the combined efforts of community agencies and grassroots organizations that support the program in a financial and volunteer capacity. San Antonio has an extensive network of agencies to provide services to the Safe Haven project through the Weed & Seed program. The following agencies are some which provide resources in San Antonio: the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas; San Antonio Police Department; San Antonio Fighting Back; Davis/Scott YMCA; New Light Tenant Association; Springview Resident Association; King Middle School; San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse; Claude W. Black Center; Barbara Jordan Community Center; Boys And Girls Club, Springview Branch; Crossroads Missionary Baptist Church; Weed & Seed Advisory committee; Palmer Drug Abuse; San Antonio Literacy Council; Police Athletic League (PAL); and Communities in Schools. Specific services and activities made available to the participants of the Safe Havens include tutoring, rap sessions, drug prevention education, and drug counseling. PAL provides recreational opportunities to youths involved in the Safe Haven program. Local professional sports organizations actively support the activities of PAL. Opportunities include the San Antonio Spurs Drug Free Basketball League, San Antonio Mission Baseball League, modeling, karate, and numerous other activities designed to enhance self esteem and develop positive team building and decision-making skills. Through support provided by additional agencies, the Safe Havens provide guest speakers to address social and cultural concerns. Field trips and special occasion events are also provided by the San Antonio Safe Havens. Project Assist was developed in coordination with the Safe Havens. The goal of this project is to benefit the spiritual, physical, and mental needs of children through counseling, tutoring, and referrals in a family-oriented setting. Supporting the Safe Haven initiative, the Family Service Association of San Antonio, Inc. partnered with the Safe Havens to develop a curriculum for girls between ages nine and thirteen. Some sessions include Feelings Identification, Feelings Expression and Anger Management, Self-Esteem Building, and a Modeling Club in coordination with PAL. Results and Impact Performance Measures The San Antonio Safe Haven Program began as a "Cities in Schools, Inc." (Communities in Schools locally) project contracted to San Antonio Fighting Back. San Antonio Fighting Back is one of the 14 national drug prevention initiatives funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the largest health care philanthropy in the world, and the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County. Because preliminary program design is contingent on assessments and expectations based on those assessments, meeting the needs of the community is critical to the success of any service-based program. San Antonio Fighting Back had been involved in a two-year needs assessment, planning, and implementation process to develop comprehensive drug and crime prevention strategies. This work provided the infrastructure and foundation for the Safe Haven project. Therefore, some of the initial steps involved in developing a Safe Haven program were completed prior to the Cities in Schools, Inc. project. They comprise the following four activities: Community Assessment: risk; protective; resiliency; community needs; community resources; attitudes and perceptions with regard to substance use, abuse, and crime; community leadership; and broader community support for substance abuse and crime prevention programs; Community Training: organization and mobilization; advocacy skills; and organization development and maintenance; Resource Development: in-kind support; acquisition of grant funds; Federal; State; local; private foundation; and private sector; and Evaluation: evaluation plan; performance measures; evaluation instrument; and evaluation contractor. Implementation Problems and Successes The difficulties encountered during implementation of the San Antonio Safe Haven program have been few and primarily financial. Funding considerations are significant with the initiation of any new program. San Antonio was fortunate to have received grant funding to support the Safe Haven concept. Resources have been attained through collaborative efforts and grant funding and private sector support have been sought. The San Antonio Safe Haven project is managed by a coordinator with minimal support staff. Initially, the staff to participant ratio provided inefficient provision of services. That problem was solved when San Antonio received funding for the Americorps/Just Serve program. Using Americorps members in the program has shifted the participant to staff ratio. Successes and Accomplishments San Antonio Safe Haven programs have exceeded initial expectations. Program administrators did not expect so many people to use the facilities. The project was expected to serve 20 children at two sites. The local Safe Havens serve an average of 45 youth and adults, and a third Safe Haven site was established in 1994. Service support has also grown. Local professionals, community leaders, and area residents have provided additional resources. Two major successes have been that the philosophy of the police department has changed and that the relationship between the police and the community has improved. Now, after school the children come looking for the police officers who are their "pals." There has been a change in officers who have done the Weed & Seed training: they are less cynical and less prone to burnout. The Safe Havens in San Antonio have successfully involved youth and other area residents in numerous projects. Feeding the homeless, elderly, disabled, and hungry was a collaborative effort between the Safe Havens and two churches -- Crossroads Missionary Baptist and Good Faith News Missionary Baptist church. The Safe Haven concept has been well received in the San Antonio area and was highlighted by local news channels. In April 1994, media coverage focusing on what is being done to combat the violence in San Antonio featured youth from the San Antonio Safe Havens. Many of the youth interviewed stated that the Safe Havens provided a safe and fun place to learn, play, and work together. Twenty youths and one adult from the Safe Havens participated in the Anti-Drug Conference held at St. Mary's University in August 1994. They were involved in workshops, team competitions, self-esteem building, recreation, dance, and talent shows. This was the first time many of these youths had ever been on a University campus. In conjunction with San Antonio Fighting Back, San Antonio Housing Authority, Fort Sam Houston, and the Weed & Seed Safe Havens, 15 youths were given the opportunity to be involved with military and civilian personnel in a military setting. La Salida, The Way Out, is a two-day adventure designed to provide an atmosphere to nurture and enhance the self image of students and work to break the chain of drugs, gangs, and negative peer pressure as well as provide physical challenges. During her visit to the San Antonio Weed & Seed site, U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno provided an exciting opportunity for Safe Haven youth involved with the Learning Garden to proudly display their horticultural successes. Prospects for Replication The Safe Haven facilities have proved to be accessible to the whole community. Ideal locations for Safe Havens are schools, public housing facilities, or community centers. The established relationships with community and city agencies eased the initiation of Safe Havens. The delivery of services in an established organization can enhance existing projects and expand available resources. Working collaboratively to assess and address the needs of the community provided a foundation for success in the Safe Haven implementation. With regard to obtaining resources, Detective Carolyn Pastol, the San Antonio Weed & Seed Coordinator, says that "Resources come to you in some of the most unusual ways. Don't turn any of them away. Get out and start tapping into some of them." Contact Information Carolyn Pastol Detective Weed & Seed Coordinator 214 West Nueva San Antonio, TX 78205 (210) 207-7615 (210) 299-7592 fax