The Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) seeks to prevent and reduce violent crime in communities by supporting comprehensive, evidence-based violence intervention and prevention programs based on partnerships among community residents, local government agencies, victim service providers, community-based organizations, law enforcement, hospitals, researchers, and other community stakeholders. City leaders are interested in your experience in working with this initiative or initiatives with similar expectations or outcomes, specifically including your experience in urban communities if applicable. Please include your evaluation of the success of those programs and your ideas regarding improving them.
Candidate B Answer:
[Redacted] has a wealth of personal and professional experience working within the urban community setting. As a resident of [-], [-] understands the culture and environment in an urban city and the necessity for intervention and violence prevention programs. [-] is a firm supporter of Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) that reduce violent crime through comprehensive evidence-based violence intervention and prevention programs that uses partnerships with outside organizations and community members. This practice resonates with a famous quote from Sir Robert Peel, "The Police are the Public; the Public are the Police."
In [-], [-] met with members of [-] to discuss the HVIP (Hospital Based Violence Intervention Program). The program is a conservative effort to address violence with medical staff and community-based partners that provide services, planning and trauma informed care to victims. The medical staff received a [-] grant and requested police participation with the [-]. [-] was present in the planning and preparation meetings. With the onset of Covid-19, police involvement in the program was limited to the [-]. The data provided by [-] highlights the connection of violence with members of impoverished communities and the need for programs with resources to impact the root causes of violence, so there can be a reduction in violent crime. There must be an emphasis on fulfilling basic needs to eliminate disparities within housing, education, and employment.
As a [-] assigned to the [-], [-] was the liaison for the police department on the Drug Court Program [-]. [-] responsibilities included weekly curfew checks on participants, and [-] was the eyes and ears in the streets. [-] attended weekly meetings with the drug court team which included court personnel, probation and parole, substance abuse providers and case managers. [-]'s interactions with the participants who were recovering drug addicts was respectful, courteous, supportive, and compassionate. [-] provided genuine encouragement that was appreciated and expressed during graduation ceremonies by the participants. The relationships developed in the drug court program extended to the community. Participants were not afraid or uneasy with speaking with [-] within the community. [-] continues to encourage the past participants during [-] travels with words of encouragement or just a listening ear.
The [-] Drug Court Program was [-]. In the first [-] years, [-] graduated [-] participants from the program. The program forced prosecutors and defense attorneys to become collaborators to assist with eradicating the defendant's addiction utilizing a sanctioning system in lieu of incarceration. The program offers financial savings when compared to the cost of imprisonment. The Office of Justice Programs conducted a research study of recidivism rates for drug court participants and found that approximately 16.4 % of graduates are rearrested within one year of completing the drug court program [-]. At two years, 27.5% of graduates are rearrested after graduating the program. The results indicate nearly 75% of recidivism is achieved at the two-year mark.
[-] attended the planning meeting for the [-] that was held on [-], at the [-]. This initiative was a collaborative effort between the United States Attorney's Office, [-] Police Department, [-] Sherriff's Office, [-] Probation and Parole, [-] Department of Juvenile Justice., Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Agency, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, local community leaders, clergy members, and service providers. The initiative identified [-] of the individuals involved in violent crime and associated with a group involved in violent criminal activity. A letter was drafted and sent to the individuals advising of law enforcement's knowledge of involvement in criminal activity and the opportunity to attend [-] meeting where employment opportunities, job and skill training, mental health and substance abuse treatment, counseling, housing, and other resources would be offered to effect change and stop the violent activity.
The local community members reached out to the invited individuals to encourage attendance and provide support by also attending the meeting. Although the turnout was minimal, there were individuals in attendance that met with the clergy and service providers. There was little involvement from the police department other than attending the meeting. [-] improvement to this program would be to incorporate a support system of law enforcement personnel [-]. The Chief would partner with Sherriff [-] and speak with inmates during the reentry phase of release from incarceration. The Chief can provide support and encouragement to offenders to promote change and offer inspiration to achieve successful outcomes in lieu of reincarceration.
[-] attended a meeting with [-] to discuss [-]. The program works on the premise that the public safety does not exist without public involvement. [-] creates employment opportunities for community members. The [-] program [-] increase safety and to identify individuals with hardship needs for connection to resources [-]. The [-] to develop, train, and implement the [-] program in [-].
As the Chief of Police, [-] would be completely dedicated and committed to this [-]. [-] understands the culture within the communities of opportunity and the benefits of positioning credible community members to assist with resolving conflict but more importantly providing resources for families.
[-]
[-] believes the success of a community intervention and prevention initiative is based on collaboration between partners, effective and timely communication, assessment and follow up. While working in impoverished neighborhoods in [-], [-]'s priority centered around building trust with the members of the community. [-] achieved [-] goal by being consistent, present, understanding, and available. [-] met the community members where they were and never judged for past mistakes or criminal activity. [-] respected all [-] encountered and modeled respectful behavior in the presence of other officers. In return, [-] built strong lasting relationships with community members and increased the community efficacy. Community members continual provide valuable information that impacts criminal activity, provide suggestions for improvement by law enforcement and show appreciation for law enforcement officers.
Law enforcement agencies must have a thorough understanding of the history of law enforcement and communities with little of no trust of the police. As the Chief of Police, [-] would acknowledge the history of law enforcement, incorporate opportunities for discussion with the community, ensure community engagement and relationship building are priorities for the department, support organizational partnerships and promote community involvement in solution driven responses to criminal activity.
[-] would improve these programs by implementing a mechanism to capture effectiveness of the program, include authentic community engagement for courageous conversations, afford opportunities for community members to share background stories, include media involvement to document the success of the program. [-] would be dedicated to a cohesive and collaborative relationship with the city manager with communication at the forefront for any programs or initiatives the police department commits to a partnership.
References
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Ranjan, S., Neudecker, C.H., Strange, C. C., Wojcik, M. L. T., Shah, A., & Solhkhah, R. (2022). Hospital based violence intervention programs (HVIPs): Making a case for qualitative evaluation designs. Crime and Delinquency, https://doi.org/10.1177/00111287221110446
Roman, J., Townsend, W., & Bhati, A. S. (2003, July). The author(s) shown below used federal funds provided by the U.S ... Recidivisim Rates for Drug Court Graduates: Nationally Based Estimates, Final Report. Retrieved December 18, 2022, from https://www.ojp.gov/pdffilesl/201229.pdf