Saving Lives: Alternative Approaches to Reducing Urban Gun Violence DeVone L. Boggan Advance Peace “Interrupting Urban Gun Violence to Advance Peace” April 2016

Through Community Driven Developmental Approaches Advance Peace interrupts urban gun violence by providing focused transformational opportunity to young men involved in lethal firearm offenses in urban communities.

Strategies Office of Neighborhood Safety (Richmond California, 2008) Operation Peacemaker Fellowship (Richmond California, 2010)

Office of Neighborhood Safety  Government Agency  Non-Law Enforcement  Single Focus: Reduce Firearm Assaults and Associated Injury and Death (focus on those suspected of being (“serial shooters”) Not Gang Prevention/Intervention Not Reentry

Office of Neighborhood Safety  Program Development and Implementation  Capacity Building  Services Coordination  Resource Development  Evaluation  Advocacy

Office of Neighborhood Safety Employs Street Outreach Strategy as Primary Engagement Strategy City Employees (Neighborhood Change Agents) Deployed in communities most impacted Build credible relationships Mediates conflict/broker truces Promotes positive alternatives to violence Serve as link to “systems of care” Model Healthy Behavior

Office of Neighborhood Safety  Reduces Urban Gun Violence  Reduces hospital/trauma center re-entry  Reduces retaliatory shootings  Establishes effective link to credible and responsive social services in an effort to improve the social and emotional health & wellness of those engaged.

OPERATION PEACEMAKER FELLOWSHIP Intensive developmental focus and engagement with those suspected to be the most lethal offenders who have avoided criminal consequences for their acts. Fellows are those most resistant change and are chronically unresponsive to traditional service approaches.

OPERATION PEACEMAKER FELLOWSHIP Grounded in six Evidence-Based Practices  Street Outreach  Mentoring  Case Management  Life Skills Training  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy  Subsidized Employment

OPERATION PEACEMAKER FELLOWSHIP Offer 18-Month non-mandated participation  Concentrated Daily Engagement  LifeMAP Development & Life Coaching  Social Services Referral & Navigation  Horizon Building Educational Excursions  Achievement-based Privileged Stipend  Elders Circle – Intergenerational Mentoring  Subsidized Internships

OPERATION PEACEMAKER FELLOWSHIP Goals  A PARTNERSHIP with USER  Informed By USER  Responsive and Credible to the USER  Cultivates FAMILY  Nurtures LIFE over death conflict resolution  Inspires stronger desire to LIVE  Empowers VISION for one’s future opportunity  Establishes new and healthier social networks  Employs Healthy ACCOUNTABILITY  Supports MAINSTREAM Accessibility

OPERATION PEACEMAKER FELLOWSHIP Outcomes Over past 66-months 3 Fellowship Cohorts Completed 4 th Cohort in-process 92 Fellows (city’s “most lethal”) Since Becoming A Fellow: 94% Alive 84% Not Injured By Firearm 79% Not Suspected of New Firearm Crime

Combined Approach Citywide Outcomes Over six year period of Fellowship ( ) compared to 6 years prior ( ) to Fellowship, Richmond has experience a 50% reduction in Firearm related homicides and a 56% reduction in Firearm assaults. Between 2007 when the ONS was launched and 2015 the city of Richmond experienced a 75% reduction in “gang” related firearm homicides and a 69% reduction in firearm assaults. These reductions represent a 4-decade low of gun violence in Richmond.

Law Enforcement Perspective “In my opinion the impact of the ONS and the Fellowship cannot be overstated. Targeting individuals for services by category is not new…the Fellowship has taken this targeting strategy a step further and focused on the individuals who are the most likely to be catalysts or instigators of gun violence.

Law Enforcement Perspective In truth, the ONS is the only agency in this city that targets the “one percenters” for services. The benefits of the Fellowship can be felt everywhere, but nowhere is the impact more visible than in the overall reduction in violent crime in our city.” -Special Investigations Commander, Richmond Police Department

Law Enforcement Perspective “…ONS engages the most dangerous young men in our community and gives them an alternative to a violent lifestyle. For every killing they prevent, human capital is preserved, negative social costs are minimized, and millions of dollars are saved…were it not for their efforts more young men would have been shot and killed in our city.”-Richmond Gang Task Force

QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION DeVone L. Boggan Advance Peace “Interrupting Urban Gun Violence to Advance Peace”