Gang
Violence Response
5-Point Plan
On Wednesday, May 24, thirteen-year old Sammy Stevenson was shot
as he tried to escape from the area of a gang fight. Sammy was not
the intended target of the shooter. His death led to a meeting on
May 26 that included representatives of the Police Department, the
Safe City Commission, the Boys & Girls Clubs and the Comin’
Up Program. We met to discuss the recent incidents of gang violence
and to identify new responses to the gang shootings. City Council
had approved, on May 23, an increase in funding for our Zero Tolerance
effort. We looked at enforcement and at the other aspects of crime
reduction, prevention and intervention, at this meeting.
A five-point approach was identified and announced on May 30, 2006:
1. Media campaign
2. New Comin’ Up sites
3. Target gangs for nuisance abatements
4. Zero Tolerance by the Fort Worth Police Department
5. Community leader meetings
Media campaign
The Safe City Commission is expanding its Imagine No Violence
campaign with bus wraps and bus benches to deliver the message.
Safe City Commission will also:
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Print CrimeStoppers door hangers specifically mentioning rewards
for information on gang violence. The door hangers are in both
English and Spanish. The PD Gang Unit will provide information
on neighborhoods to target with the door hangers. 1500 had been
distributed in Northside neighborhoods by June 13.
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Create a direct mail flyer for neighborhoods
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Create and print flyers to be posted in community centers and
other locations such as convenience stores in targeted areas.
New Comin’ Up sites
The Comin’ Up program is our successful gang intervention
program, in operation since 1994. Comin’ Up staff members
personally meet with gang members to encourage non-retaliation.
Comin’ Up outreach specialists are trained in medication and
de-escalation. They provide quick outreach when an incidence of
gang violence occurs. They also are successful in positive life
changes, such as GED and job acquisition by former gang members.
Parks and Community Services and Boys & Girls Clubs staff identified
areas outside the current Comin’ Up locations for new sites.
They mapped their service areas and made contact with gang members
in those areas. The Southside and the Woodhaven areas have been
identified for sites. City Council approved funding on June 6, 2006,
for sites in these two areas.
Nuisance
abatements
Because of the success with nuisance abatements at locations
involving narcotics dealing, we will work with the City Attorney’s
Office to begin the nuisance abatement process at residences and
businesses that are repeat locations for gang violence and toward
the gang members themselves. At times, it is the education process,
not the legal action, that causes property owners to take steps
to abate the problem themselves. The Gang Unit is preparing the
identification of these locations and people.
The City Attorney’s Office will file civil injunctions against
the people or locations, enjoining them from specified actions.
The injunction provisions will be tailored for each gang and may
include prohibitions against:
• Associating with other gang members in the “Safety
Zone”;
• Possessing spray paint, marker pens, nails, razor blades
or other sharp objects;
• Possessing or delivering a controlled substances, narcotics
or dangerous drugs;
• Entering onto certain properties;
• Possessing weapons of any type;
Zero Tolerance
Chief Mendoza announced that the Crime Response Teams will
return to their original name, Zero Tolerance teams. The cars will
be marked as such and the expectation is that the tactics of the
teams will reflect the zero tolerance approach. Additionally, with
the increase funded under the Summer Strategies program by Council
and the Crime Control and Prevention District Board, we will be
able to pass thru 4 of the officers to the Gang Unit until July
1.The additional officers for the Zero Tolerance teams began their
assignment on June 3. On July 1, the Gang Unit will be supplemented
by the School Security officers thru the remainder of the summer.
Beginning in mid-May and throughout the summer, the Gang Unit began
targeting the most active gangs, cash bonding on Class C misdemeanors,
and towing the cars of gang members when it is an option. Since
school is out except for a few summer school locations, the Gang
officers who had worked days to handle school issues have changed
their work hours to match the summer pattern of activity.
Community meetings
We are meeting with the community and religious leaders to engage
them in the gang intervention and prevention efforts. Police commanders
will meet with the various community groups and ministerial alliances
across the City to outline this plan and enlist their support for
the safety of their communities. Ministers Against Crime and the
Clergy and Police Alliance were briefed on June 13. A meeting is
planned for June with the public housing managers to educate them
on gangs and gang identification.
This five-point program includes prevention, intervention, and enforcement.
To be successful, our efforts must be a coordinated response of
all three.
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