Peer-to-peer visit

Over the next two years the Arizona PSN site will be implementing a focused deterrence project related to violent gangs. Lt. John White was assigned to this project after the project was submitted and has little background on the pulling levers theory or focused deterrence. After attending the PSN Partner Orientation Course here in Phoenix he was invited to both Fresno and Kansas City to meet with the officers and stakeholders involved in the project and observe a call in meeting to see not only how the meetings are ran, but logistics involved in setting a meeting up.

Over the last few years, Gary Police Department (GPD) has started to use data more and we now have a full time crime analyst. Currently our efforts have focused on data that shows historical trends, comparisons between timeframes, and documents previous months efforts. We would like to start using data more proactively, in real time, to make decisions about deployment and to help identify strategies and tactics that are customized to high-crime neighborhoods.

The city has areas that are run down and unkempt resulting in community blight that is unattractive to homeowners and businesses. There are a large number (some 8000) abandoned buildings, although the city has started a demolition effort. Much of the housing stock is rental property providing no incentive for maintaining the property and we've seen limited landlord engagement to keep the properties up. Gary has seen a drop in population over the last decade, resulting in fewer jobs and businesses. This has led to buildings being abandoned and allowed to deteriorate.

The City of Berkeley, MO is requesting technical assistance in the area of community policing. We are looking to examine the model that is being used and how it is implemented in the community as well as the policy and procedures that guide it. We would like to interact with the elected officials of the city ,city manager or chief of staff, officers in the field, police chief and community members.

The Governor’s Office on Crime Control and Prevention (GOCCP) is requesting assistance to fund eight members of the Governor’s Commission to Reform Maryland’s Pretrial Release System to travel to the Commonwealth of Kentucky to observe the pretrial risk assessment process in that state. Such a visit can be extremely beneficial to the Commission in completing the tasks assigned to it by the Governor. Kentucky is one of the few states in the country where pretrial services is run statewide, an approach that the Governor has asked the Commission to examine.

Our New Orleans Task Force has been updated with new members (for the new prostitution diversion program that we will be implementing soon under the Racial Justice Improvement Project). The following critical members have been added: Henry Dean from New Orleans Police Department, Mark Burton and Ginger Miller from the DA’s Office and Charlene Larche-Mason from the City Attorney’s Office.

Seeking greater interest and buy-in from local criminal justice partners for a range of good practices in place in other jurisdictions that we are seeking to encourage development in New Orleans.