ADDRESSING “GANG” AND DRUG CRIME Seattle, Washington June 29, 2009 David M. Kennedy Director Center for Crime Prevention and Control John Jay College of Criminal Justice jjay.cuny.edu/ccpc

Portland Murder down 36% city-wide Murder down 36% city-wide Shooting CFS down 37% Shooting CFS down 37% Shots fired CFS down 49% Shots fired CFS down 49% No call-in participants involved in homicides, either victims or offenders No call-in participants involved in homicides, either victims or offenders Drive-bys down 74% Drive-bys down 74% Homicide victims under age 25 down 82% Homicide victims under age 25 down 82%

“HIGH POINT” DRUG MARKET STRATEGY “Drug Market Intervention”: Seattle is part of BJA DMI project “Drug Market Intervention”: Seattle is part of BJA DMI project Eliminates “overt” markets Eliminates “overt” markets High Point West End: closed May 18, % reduction in violent crime High Point West End: closed May 18, % reduction in violent crime No remaining overt drug markets No remaining overt drug markets 30+ cities 30+ cities

DMI, CONT. Providence, at one year: calls for police service down 58%, reported drug crime 70%, drug calls to police 81% Providence, at one year: calls for police service down 58%, reported drug crime 70%, drug calls to police 81% Hempstead, at one year: 87% reduction in drug arrests, 74% reduction overall Hempstead, at one year: 87% reduction in drug arrests, 74% reduction overall Year to date 2009: no drug crime reported Year to date 2009: no drug crime reported No apparent displacement No apparent displacement Racial reconciliation Racial reconciliation

CIRV – Network Analysis of Street Sets Red – Beef Green – Alliance Blue – Volatile

THE BASIC FRAMEWORK Strategy to address core violence and drug market issues Strategy to address core violence and drug market issues Core partnership: law enforcement, community, services, “influentials” Core partnership: law enforcement, community, services, “influentials” New consensus: this is not OK; we’d like to help you; regardless, it’s over New consensus: this is not OK; we’d like to help you; regardless, it’s over Usually very small number of offenders Usually very small number of offenders Direct, sustained communication with offenders Direct, sustained communication with offenders Simple, unified message Simple, unified message The community needs this to stop The community needs this to stop We’d like to keep you out of prison We’d like to keep you out of prison We’ll help you We’ll help you We’re not asking: consequences are certain We’re not asking: consequences are certain Meticulous follow-up Meticulous follow-up

THE “MORAL VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY” What you’re doing is wrong and has to stop What you’re doing is wrong and has to stop We care about you very much We care about you very much You’re important and valuable You’re important and valuable We need you alive, out of prison, helping the community We need you alive, out of prison, helping the community We’ll help you in any way we can We’ll help you in any way we can This has opened an incredibly important door This has opened an incredibly important door

“HUG A THUG”? “It's more like granny wielding the feds as she lays down the law.” “It's more like granny wielding the feds as she lays down the law.” “How to let people do heroes’ work” Patrick McIlheran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinal, July 13, 2007 “How to let people do heroes’ work” Patrick McIlheran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinal, July 13, 2007

OVERALL: WHAT WE’VE LEARNED AND WHERE WE ARE These strategies work These strategies work Direct engagement: moral voice of the community, help, consequences Direct engagement: moral voice of the community, help, consequences Hard work to establish and maintain Hard work to establish and maintain A work in progress A work in progress

1. EVERYBODY IS BEHAVING DIFFERENTLY No party – law enforcement, community, offenders – has been behaving correctly No party – law enforcement, community, offenders – has been behaving correctly We’re ALL shifting We’re ALL shifting Truthtelling and reconciliation Truthtelling and reconciliation Chief James Fealy, High Point: “I’m sorry.” Chief James Fealy, High Point: “I’m sorry.” High Point community: “We haven’t been doing our part.” High Point community: “We haven’t been doing our part.” Cincinnati offender: “I’m tired and I want out.” Cincinnati offender: “I’m tired and I want out.”

2. CORE PARTNERSHIP Community Community Social services Social services Law enforcement Law enforcement Standing together Standing together One message One message

3. OFFENDER IDEAS MATTER THE MOST ~80 percent of violence, usually, not about business: beefs, boy/girl, respect ~80 percent of violence, usually, not about business: beefs, boy/girl, respect We’re really dealing with the street code We’re really dealing with the street code Disrespect requires violence Disrespect requires violence We’re not afraid of death or prison We’re not afraid of death or prison We handle our own business We handle our own business We’ve got each other’s back We’ve got each other’s back We’re justified in what we do We’re justified in what we do Legitimacy: offenders’ views of community and authorities Legitimacy: offenders’ views of community and authorities

4. THIS IS (MOSTLY) ABOUT GROUPS AND GROUP DYNAMICS Groups (and similar settings like drug markets) drive a huge share of the action Groups (and similar settings like drug markets) drive a huge share of the action Group dynamics drive things – groups are different than individuals Group dynamics drive things – groups are different than individuals Beyond that, standout, identifiable offenders Beyond that, standout, identifiable offenders So: identify and engage with these groups and individuals So: identify and engage with these groups and individuals

5. DIRECT ENGAGEMENT “ Forums”: group members who happen to be on probation – way of communicating city-wide with most or all groups at once. Not about the people in the room. (Boston +) “ Forums”: group members who happen to be on probation – way of communicating city-wide with most or all groups at once. Not about the people in the room. (Boston +) Community call-ins, individual offenders on parole/probation (Chicago) Community call-ins, individual offenders on parole/probation (Chicago) Community call-ins of identified offenders, voluntary with hook (High Point model) Community call-ins of identified offenders, voluntary with hook (High Point model) Purely voluntary? Purely voluntary?

6. MORAL ENGAGEMENT WITH OFFEN DERS Offenders can and will choose, are responsible human beings Offenders can and will choose, are responsible human beings There’s right, there’s wrong, no gray area There’s right, there’s wrong, no gray area Enormous harm being done – community can’t have it Enormous harm being done – community can’t have it Engagement with dangerous and mistaken street code Engagement with dangerous and mistaken street code Everyone is important, everyone matters Everyone is important, everyone matters

7. HELP IS A MORAL AND PRACTICAL OBLIGATION Everyone who wants it deserves it Everyone who wants it deserves it Some will take it Some will take it Changes moral narratives Changes moral narratives Has to be honest Has to be honest We will do everything we can We will do everything we can Limited resources don’t change the core fact that the violence is completely unacceptable Limited resources don’t change the core fact that the violence is completely unacceptable Can’t wait for perfect service world Can’t wait for perfect service world Teny Gross: “We don’t negotiate death” Teny Gross: “We don’t negotiate death”

8. CLEAR COMMUNICATION OF CONSEQUENCES Group accountability for group-related violence Group accountability for group-related violence Self-policing Self-policing “Honorable exit” “Honorable exit” “Banked” case in drug markets “Banked” case in drug markets Simple provision of information Simple provision of information Chicago notification: federal gun eligibility Chicago notification: federal gun eligibility Last resort, explained ahead of time, limited, honest Last resort, explained ahead of time, limited, honest “Next group” “Next group” Continued communication and explanation critical Continued communication and explanation critical Legitimacy essential Legitimacy essential

9. CORE THEMES IN MESSAGE It has to stop. End of story. No debate or excuses. It’s wrong, it hurts, you’re better than this, you don’t like it, we don’t want to live like this any more It has to stop. End of story. No debate or excuses. It’s wrong, it hurts, you’re better than this, you don’t like it, we don’t want to live like this any more Your community and loved ones need it to stop Your community and loved ones need it to stop You are hugely important and valuable You are hugely important and valuable The ideas of the street code are wrong The ideas of the street code are wrong We will do everything we can to help you We will do everything we can to help you We will stop you if you make us We will stop you if you make us None of us like how we have been living; we all want to change None of us like how we have been living; we all want to change

COMMON GROUND Everyone wants the community to be safe Everyone wants the community to be safe Everyone wants the most dangerous offenders controlled Everyone wants the most dangerous offenders controlled Everyone wants the chaos to end Everyone wants the chaos to end Everyone wants profligate enforcement to stop Everyone wants profligate enforcement to stop Everyone wants those who want help to get it Everyone wants those who want help to get it Everyone’s miserable now and can change together Everyone’s miserable now and can change together

NATIONAL NETWORK FOR SAFE COMMUNITIES 30+ cities 30+ cities “Leadership Group”: Los Angeles, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Providence, Boston, High Point, others “Leadership Group”: Los Angeles, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Providence, Boston, High Point, others Full implementation and institutionalization of “gang” and drug strategies Full implementation and institutionalization of “gang” and drug strategies