The City of Long Beach Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Task Force was established to address youth violence issues in the city and develop a comprehensive violence prevention plan. The Task Force is made up of 40 community members and has several subcommittees focused on key areas like youth engagement, parenting, and workforce development. The Task Force has worked to increase after school programs, hold community forums, and develop a public awareness campaign around violence prevention.
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City of Long Beach Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Task Force
1. City of Long Beach
Youth and Gang
Violence Prevention
Task Force
Western Justice Center
Pasadena, California
Presented by
Lydia A. Hollie, J.D., M.A.Ed.
Chair
May 28, 2008
2. Motto
“Reducing Violence, Saving Lives”
City of Long Beach Youth & Gang
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3. Vision Statement
The Youth and Gang Violence Prevention
Task Force envisions a community where
youth are highly valued, well educated,
skilled for the 21st century workplace,
healthy, law abiding, and contributing
members of society who respect the
rights of others and themselves.
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4. Learning from the Past
On November 4, 2003, the City of Long Beach Human
Relations Commission (HRC) presented an Interim Report
and Re-examination of the Problems of Youth and Gang
Violence in the City of Long Beach.
The report reflected the impacts that youth violence has on
the quality of life for youth and human relations in the city.
The report noted that 40% of the city’s population is
children and youth.
The report was approved by the community leadership, the
Long Beach Police Department, unanimously adopted by
the City Council, and implemented.
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5. Key HRC Recommendations
Convene a task force representative of the major
leadership sectors of the community to develop a citywide
comprehensive approach to implement recommendations
from the HRC report over a three-year period.
Train gang conflict mediators as a resource to the Human
Dignity Program’s Hate Crimes Response and Inter-group
Conflict Resolution Teams.
Develop a public awareness campaign to communicate
relevant anti-gang messages and reinforce positive
community norms.
Strengthen relationships with ethnic specific community
based organizations.
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6. Youth and Gang Violence
Prevention Task Force
The Long Beach Youth and Gang Violence Prevention
Task Force is a 40-member group charged with pursuing
solutions to wide-ranging issues that significantly affect
the quality of life for our youth.
It represents every major leadership sector of the
community and it reflects the demographic diversity of
the community.
Task Force members were selected specifically for their
expertise and interest in youth as well as youth violence
prevention and intervention
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7. Structural Framework
The structural framework of the citywide Task Force
includes two other elements, which strengthens its
capacity to be effective:
Executive Committee: Represents the highest
leadership of the city to reflect the diverse interests
impacted by youth violence, provides oversight of the
implementation process, as well as direct support for
resource allocation.
Resource Team: City and Long Beach Unified School
District staff is responsible for providing staff support,
reviewing the City’s current youth-serving policies and
programs, identifying programs by goals and targeted
population and activities, and benchmarking programs
from other cities.
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8. Key Objective
To inform, consult, and work in
collaboration with civic leadership, the faith
based community, neighborhood
associations, educational, and youth
leaders to identify the appropriate
preventative measures, responses and
strategies related to issues of delinquency,
conflict, violence and gang-related activity.
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9. Key Purpose
To inform the City of Long Beach and the Long
Beach Unified School District as to the
appropriate preventative measures, responses
and strategies related to issues of violence and
gang-related activity.
To consult and work in collaboration with Long
Beach City College, California State University
Long Beach and other community partners to
research and review programs that serve at-risk
youth and young adults.
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10. Key Duties
Conduct needs assessment of at-risk youth and young adults, evaluate
available resources and propose ways to address unmet needs.
Review the performance of such services and programs in the
community, including the evaluation of each funded program.
Increase public awareness of the resources available to combat youth
violence and gang involvement, and of strategies to reduce the
problem.
Research and report to the City of Long Beach, LBUSD and/or
community partners funding the appropriate risk assessment
instruments to respond to and treat the juveniles and young adults at
risk of violence and/or gang involvement.
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11. Developmental Phases I & II
Phase I
Identify the overarching objectives from the
Human Relations Commission report;
Phase II
Identify possible approaches to addressing
youth and gang violence in the City of Long
Beach;
Recommend strategies to implement the
recommendations from the HRC Report;
Provide a “big picture” approach to planning.
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12. Developmental Phase III
Develop a multi-year Violence Prevention Plan for the City.
Connect and promote resources in the community.
Support the hiring of a Violence Prevention Coordinator.
Develop a Task Force Strategic Plan.
Develop a public educational awareness campaign.
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13. Youth Engagement & Violence
Prevention Subcommittee
HRC Report stated: 184,800 minors and young adults 0-24
years of age reside in Long Beach, representing 40% of
the total Long Beach population.
Possible objectives:
Find ways to engage youth in the process to reduce youth violence.
Explore and implement ways to involve reformed gang members in
a meaningful way.
Increase youth participation in anti-gang and community programs;
identify youth role models and stakeholders.
Target Police Beats 4, 5, and 7 youth-serving agencies to identify
youth to participate on the Task Force.
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14. Early Childhood Education & Parenting
Subcommittee
HRC Report stated: There is a need for more parent and/or
adult involvement in youth’s lives. There needs to be
ongoing communication to get parents involved so that they
become more aware of the issues youth face everyday
which includes sometimes just simply getting from home to
school and back safely.
Possible objectives:
Identify resources for specialized parenting education.
Put together a parenting resource guide and make it available online
and in print; bring resource programs to the area; launch a media
campaign to promote parenting support groups; and look into linking
parenting classes to take advantage of certain social services.
Focus on early intervention in the pre-school age range.
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15. Workforce Development & Reentry
Subcommittee
HRC Report stated: An antidote to gangs and criminal
activity is meaningful workplace skill development and
gainful employment.
Possible objectives:
Find ways to increase job opportunities for all youth as well as
address housing, mental health, substance abuse treatment,
education, and life management skills for reentering youth.
Continue to collaborate with the Workforce Development Board’s
Youth Council to implement strategies to increase youth
employment services through grant and program development, and
through increased outreach of services available to youth through
the Youth Opportunities Council, Commission on Children and
Youth, other youth-serving organizations, and the local business
community.
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16. Media & Community Education
Subcommittee
HRC Report stated: Develop a public awareness campaign
modeled after the anti-tobacco initiative campaign to
communicate anti-gang messages which de-glorifies and
de-glamorizes violence through the promotion of positive
character and community and social values, e.g., integrity,
responsibility, accountability, and respect.
Possible objectives:
Develop a multi-dimensional media plan that gives a relevant voice
to the targeted populations in Long Beach and convey a positive
message of role models for youth and families.
Establish the general public service message for the anti-violence
media campaign.
Develop Task Force brochures for youth and adult audiences.
Develop Task Force web site and include useful resource links.
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17. Research & Resource Development
Subcommittee
HRC Report stated: That the City Council allow the Human
Relations Commission to research and forward
suggestions for the application of funding to offset the cost
of some of the recommendations contained in this report.
Possible objectives:
Analyze high crime neighborhoods and identify needs and
resources; analyze additional neighborhoods where crime is rising.
Create a cross directory of resources in key target Police Beats.
Research best-practices for prevention across the country for
possible implementation in the city.
Research grant opportunities for funding prevention initiatives in the
city.
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18. Key Accomplishments
Completed citywide criminal activity analysis and identified Police
Beats 4, 5 and 7 as the initial point of focus.
LBPD and Department of Parks Recreations and Marine worked
together collaboratively to place Mobile Rec. sites within the
targeted area.
Held Focus Groups (youth & adult) in target area to gain in-depth
knowledge of community needs and advice from the residents.
Endorsed the 64-Day Season for Nonviolence.
Delivered summer Police/Youth Dialogue.
Developed Website (www.savinglives.longbeach.gov) and Logo.
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19. Key Accomplishments (Cont’d)
Completed two Enough is Enough Community Telethon campaigns (an
unprecedented 41 hours (2005) and 9 hours (2007) to change perception about
crime reduction, neighborhood restoration, and violence prevention,
collaboration the Long Beach Press Telegram, Charter Communications, and
Leadership Long Beach organization.
Delivered citywide Conflict Resolution Workshops and Community Forums on
Parenting, Education, Conflict Resolution, Employment Opportunities.
Awarded Weed & Seed Communities Grant, totaling $1 million over five years
in the address challenges in area of greatest need.
Collaborated with other city agencies to secure Cal GRIP funding, totaling
$400,000.
Collaborated with city agencies, faith based and community based
organizations, and the business and education sectors to develop
comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiatives citywide.
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20. Envisioning a Promising Future
“News Alert!
Among City’s Youth: Conflict, Death,
Injury, and Incarceration Declines to
Zero. Peaceful Co-Existence, Positive
Human Relations, and Neighborhood
Improvements are Steadily on the Rise
in the city of Long Beach.”
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21. Youth and Gang Violence Prevention
Task Force
Task Force Officers and City Staff
Dr. Lydia Hollie, Chair
City of Long Beach Youth & Gang Violence Prevention Task Force
savinglivesreducingviolence@gmail.com
(562) 714-7473
Marc Rothenberg, Esq., Vice Chair
Hilary Rivers, Secretary
333 West Ocean Boulevard
13th Floor
Long Beach, California 90802
(562) 570-6958
Melissa Morgan, Human Dignity Officer
City of Long Beach Human Dignity Program
dignity@longbeach.gov
Task Force Website: www.savinglives.longbeach.gov
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