front cover
National League of Cities plus NLC logo

Institute for Youth, Education,and Families (plus logo)

Vital Partners

MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR 
AMERICA'S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

A project funded by the U.S. Department of Justice 
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and conducted 
in partnership with the International Association of Chiefs of Police 

COPS logo

The Institute for Youth, Education,and Families (YEF Institute) is a special
entity within the National League of Cities (NLC).

NLC is the oldest and largest national organization representing municipal
government throughout the United States. Its mission is to strengthen and
promote cities as centers ofopportunity,leadership, and governance.

The YEF Institute helps municipal leaders take action on behalf of the children,
youth, and families in their communities. NLC launched the YEF Institute in
January 2000 in recognition ofthe unique and influential roles that mayors,
city councilmembers,and other local leaders play in strengthening families and
improving outcomes for children and youth.

Through the YEF Institute, municipal officials and other community leaders
have direct access to a broad array ofstrategies and tools,including:

l Action kits that offer a menu of practical steps that officials can take to
address key problems or challenges.

l Technical assistance projects in selected communities.

l Issue-based peer networks to support cross-city learning.

l The National Summit on Your Citys Families and other workshops,training
sessions,and cross-site meetings.

l Targeted research and periodic surveys of local officials.

l The YEF Institute's web site,audio conferences,and e-mail listservs.
 
To learn more about these tools and other aspects of the YEF Institutes work,
go to www.nlc.org/iyefor leave a message on the YEF Institutes information
line at (202) 626-3014.

Copyright 2006 National League of Cities Washington,DC 20004

This project was supported by cooperative agreement #2005HSWXK013 by the 
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice. 
The opinions contained herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily 
represent the official position of the U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific 
companies, products, or services should not be considered an endorcement of the 
product by the author or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references 
are illustrations to supplement discussion of the issues. 

The National League of Cities, the COPS Office, and the International Association 
of Chiefs of Police collaborated on this project.

National League of Cities plus NLC logo

Institute for Youth, Education,and Families plus logo

vital partners

MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS
WORKING TOGETHER FOR
AMERICA'S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

A project funded by the U.S. Department of Justice 
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and conducted 
in partnership with the International Association of Chiefs of Police 

COPS logo

Page i

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 

Contents

Acknowledgements			 iii
Introduction				 1
Executive Summary			 3
City Summaries 				 9
Boston, Massachusetts			 11
Burnsville, Minnesota			 15
El Paso, Texas				 19
New Brighton, Minnesota			 25
New Haven, Connecticut			 31
Sallisaw, Oklahoma			 35
San Jos, California			 39
More City Examples			 43
Additional Resources			 57
About This Report			 69

PAGE ii blank page

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
PAGE iii

Acknowledgements

NLCs Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute) 
would like to thank the members of municipal and law enforcement 
staff from cities across the nation who shared their knowledge and 
experience for this publication. 

In addition, the YEF Institute is indebted to two dedicated individuals for 
their strong commitment to the project and consistently helpful guidance 
and advice during its implementation: Katherine McQuay, senior policy 
analyst in the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services at the U.S. 
Department of Justice, and John Firman, director of research for the 
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). Without their assistance, 
this report would not have been possible.
 
John Calhoun, former president and chief executive officer of the 
National Crime Prevention Council and senior consultant to the YEF 
Institute, crafted the original vision for the project and provided overall 
guidance and direction throughout its various stages. He and senior 
consultant Andrew O. Moore conducted interviews with city leaders and 
prepared the written profiles of each citys efforts. 

Numerous NLC staff also played important roles in the research and 
publication of this report. Clifford M. Johnson, the YEF Institutes executive 
director, and Leon T. Andrews, program director for youth development, 
helped coordinate various aspects of the project and provided overall edito-
rial direction and support. Jessica Sandoval and Melissa Rogers conducted 
interviews with city leaders and led the early phases of NLCs research and 
data collection efforts, and Colleen McCarthy verified information of the 
organizations included in the Resources section and provided staff support 
during preparation of the final manuscript. Michael Karpman offered addi-
tional editorial support, and Susan Gamble was responsible for the reports 
design and layout. 

Special thanks to members of NLCs Advisory Group on Mayor / 
Law Enforcement Partnerships, including: 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
PAGE iv

Sheila Allen Bell, Administrator, Community Services Department, City of
New Haven, Connecticut

Robert A. Bermingham, Jr., Coordinator, Fairfax County Coordinating
Council on Gang Prevention, Fairfax, Virginia

Donald Bridges, Region 2 Director and Treasurer, National Association of
School Resource Officers, St. Paul, Minnesota

Chief David E. Dial, Vice-Chair, IACP Community Policing Committee,
Naperville, Illinois

Brenda Donald Walker, Deputy Mayor, Children, Youth, Families, and Elders,
Washington, D.C.

The Honorable William D. Euille, Mayor, City of Alexandria, Virginia
John Firman, Director of Research, International Association of Chiefs of
Police, Alexandria, Virginia

George George, Assistant Principal, Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School,
Takoma Park, Maryland

Christen Gutierrez, Student, Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School, Takoma
Park, Maryland

Ashley Hawkins, Student, Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School, Takoma
Park, Maryland

The Honorable Daun S. Hester, 2006 Chair, NLCs Council on Youth,
Education, and Families and Councilmember, City of Norfolk, Virginia

The Honorable Charles Hughes, Council President, City of Gary, Indiana

David Kass, Executive Director, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, Washington, D.C.

Thomas MacLellan, Policy Analyst, Criminal Justice, Center for Best
Practices, National Governors Association, Washington, D.C.

Chief J. Thomas Manger, Montgomery County Police Department, Rockville,
Maryland

The Honorable Stephen Rideout, Former Chief Judge, Alexandria Juvenile
and Domestic Relations, District Court, Alexandria, Virginia

Chief Charles E. Samarra, Alexandria Police Department, Alexandria, Virginia

Anthony J. Schembri, 2006 Chair, IACP Juvenile Justice Committee and
Secretary, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Tallahassee, Florida

Chief Steven J. White, Former Chair, IACP Juvenile Justice Committee,
Doylestown, Pennsylvania

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
PAGE 1

Dear Municipal Leader: 

Without question, mayors, police chiefs, and other municipal officials are 
essential leaders of strong and effective initiatives to improve the safety and 
well-being of children and youth. City leaders have an unrivalled ability to 
focus attention on an issue, convene key stakeholders and insist they work 
together, connect with residents at the neighborhood level, carry out the 
vision, and ensure a focus on results. This document presents numerous 
inspiring examples in which teams led by mayors, law enforcement, and other 
city officials have achieved the universally-shared goal of greater safety and 
improved life chances for young people in their communities. 

This publication is for you  for mayors, city managers, police chiefs, and 
other municipal leaders who are in the trenches of the ongoing fight to 
protect our nations children and youth. It will also be helpful to you if you 
work with such leaders on a regular basis and want to enlist their help in 
efforts to keep young people safe  a top priority for cities across America. 

The National League of Cities Institute for Youth, Education, and Families, 
with support and assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of 
Community Oriented Policing Services and the International Association of 
Chiefs of Police, produced this report to describe efforts of mayors and police 
executives to work together to promote the safety and well-being of children 
and youth. You will find tips, motivating examples, and practical action steps 
that you can apply in your own city or town. You will also draw inspiration 
from locally-tested and endorsed strategies. For NLC, it is indeed inspiring to: 

l Find descriptions of police who balance enforcement with compassion in 
how they respond to the needs of children. 

l See that the right leadership, resources, and community-level drive can 
knit together seemingly diffuse efforts into broad, high-impact strategies, 
which in turn can be borrowed and adapted by others. 

l Have a store of ideas upon which to build locally. 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
PAGE 2

l Gain further evidence of the effectiveness of cross-system collaboration. 

l Know that it is possible to move from a focus on programs to an overall 
shift in how cities and police departments do business. 

The National League of Cities remains committed to supporting municipal 
initiatives that improve the safety and well-being of our next generation. We 
hope that the examples in this report will enable you and others in your 
community to bring new energy and ideas to this effort. 

signed:
Donald J. Borut Clifford M. Johnson, Executive Director 
Executive Director Institute for Youth, Education, and Families 
National League of Cities National League of Cities 

co-signed:
Clifford M. Johnson, Executive Director
Institute for Youth, Education, and Families
National League of Cities

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 3

Executive Summary

Through effective partnerships among mayors, police chiefs, and munic-
ipal agencies, cities and towns across America have enhanced the safety 
and well-being of children and youth. The initiatives profiled in this 
report address a broad range of concerns, but they share four critical elements: 
the belief that collaboration is essential for achieving results; a commitment to 
community oriented policing strategies on a citywide basis or in targeted 
neighborhoods; a focus on key indicators to preserve momentum and 
measure progress; and efforts to craft a shared community vision that can 
sustain these partnerships over time. Each initiative in its own way has played 
an important role in protecting and nurturing the next generation. 

Forging Collaborations Between Mayors and Law Enforcement Leaders 

Municipal partnerships are launched for many different reasons, but the 
catalyst that brings mayors, police chiefs, and other city agencies together 
often is the recognition that neither the city nor its young people can thrive 
without such collaborative efforts. In New Haven, Connecticut, the mayor 
and police chief responded to concerns about the effects of street violence 
on children. In Boston, Massachusetts, and New Brighton, Minnesota, the 
inspiration for cities arose from one or more neighborhoods where violent 
crimes were most likely to occur. And in still other cities, the motivation to 
act grew out of a desire to prevent potential problems (e.g., Chula Vista, 
Californias launch of the Olweus bullying prevention program or Sallisaw, 
Oklahomas adaptation of school-based substance abuse prevention strate-
gies) or to continue building on progress (e.g., the aspirations of 
Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and Fort Worth, Texas, to earn a top ranking as the 
safest city in the nation). 

The strongest approaches also reflect an awareness among top officials 
that we cant do it alone  that city, law enforcement, and community 
leaders need each others sustained help and participation to ensure the safety 
and well-being of children and youth. In effective municipal partnerships, 
mayors and police chiefs act in concert, successfully developing and pursuing 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
PAGE 4

a coordinated strategy that pulls together the resources of law enforcement 
and other city and community agencies. 

As a partnership gathers momentum, it becomes clearer that sustaining it 
is the responsibility of the entire community, not just one agency. The very 
broad participation in El Pasos Youth Initiative Program exemplifies this 
recognition. As roles blur and blend, new voices emerge to advocate for chil-
drens safety. One Boston police lieutenant on the gang unit now says, These 
are not bad kids. They need education and jobs. Jail wont help them. And in 
New Haven, child development is a subject now taught at the police academy. 

Combining Citywide Approaches with Targeted Initiatives 

The various city strategies highlighted in this report are all anchored in 
community oriented policing, defined and adapted locally in response to 
community culture and needs. Within this context, however, both citywide 
strategies and initiatives that target specific areas or neighborhoods can play 
critical roles in enhancing the safety and well-being of children and youth. 
El Paso, Texas, San Jos, California, and other cities have adopted compre-
hensive strategies that reach across the entire jurisdiction. These strategies 
blend prevention, intervention, and enforcement, and find ways to 
transmit the moral voice of the community as well. Goals here are broad 
and visionary. Local officials speak of a city free of gangs and crime that 
helps young people realize hopes and dreams in order to build successful 
and productive schools, homes, and neighborhoods. 

Other strategies focus on reclaiming a violence-plagued section of the city 
 from an apartment complex in New Brighton to targeted neighborhoods 
in Boston and Philadelphia. Many start with children and young adolescents 
who are still in school. Others, as in Providence, Rhode Island, work to re-
integrate former prisoners upon their return to the community. A host of 
efforts intriguingly blend prevention, support, and enforcement where clergy 
and police make joint home visits and work together to broker access to chil-
drens and family services. Still other cities have broken new ground in the 
design and application of familiar assets such as police athletic leagues and 
school resource officers. 

As mayor-law enforcement partnerships strengthen community 
oriented policing, key partners then take steps to form a coalition that 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 5

reaches horizontally across city agencies and extends vertically to involve 
professionals and community leaders from various systems, services, and 
sectors. City and police officials often look beyond their communities as 
well, connecting county and state resources to the coalition efforts. 

Using Data to Sustain Momentum and Measure Progress 

A key to sustaining momentum lies in collecting and publicizing data that 
allows everyone to measure progress over time. Cities measure progress and 
proclaim success based on outcome measures as well as process measures or 
outputs. Both can be important to telling the story and continuously building 
support for city-police partnerships. Whether focusing on a reduction in crime 
rates (El Paso), less bullying (Chula Vista), lower rates of domestic violence 
(New Haven), or a decline in recidivism (Boston), cities have chosen high-
impact outcomes to pursue. Changes in public perceptions have also proven 
important in some cities  Sheboygans efforts have led to a drop in commu-
nity fear, New Brightons to higher citizen satisfaction with police. 

The range of process measures that cities can track and report is quite 
broad. El Paso and other cities note the rise in the number of participants in 
youth programs; other cities note up-ticks in the number of citizen 
volunteers. Increased use of public spaces gets counted in several cities. 
Boston and other cities that have adapted the Operation Homefront 
approach track the growing number of home visits by clergy and police. 

Ensuring Sustainability and Reaffirming a Shared Community Vision 

Effective leadership is about more than funding or operating programs. It 
is also about defining or reaffirming and giving voice to community norms 
and aspirations. Mayors and police chiefs can convey the moral imperative, 
and in some cases the outrage, that creates a sense of urgency and citywide 
commitment to improve the safety and well-being of children and youth. In 
addition, sustaining municipal partnerships is an ever-present challenge that 
requires repeated efforts to bring people to  and keep them at  the table. 
Strong and clear invitations by city, law enforcement, and community leaders 
bring people together, and active participation by the mayor and police chief 
in particular keep partners coming back. 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 6

Cities and towns have also succeeded in sustaining partnership efforts by 
widening their scope just enough to appeal to multiple interests and 
concerns. For instance, Worcesters Youth Mentoring Program and Tupelos 
Police Athletic League center seek to improve and protect both the safety and 
the well-being of children and youth. This slightly broader framing takes the 
city, police, and their partners out of a purely defensive role and enables the 
community to coalesce around a positive agenda, one that emphasizes 
nurturing and positive youth development while blending protection, 
prevention, and intervention strategies. 

Securing long-term funding sources is another key to sustainability. Cities 
have often started by redeploying city funds or securing a state or federal 
grant. Again, leadership from the top plays a critical role. The mayor and 
police chief can signal that the safety and well-being of children and youth 
are top priorities by convening a task force, naming and recognizing its 
members, and working with the task force early on to develop a financing 
strategy for the initiative. Staff support for this group from a municipal 
agency or community-based intermediary will also increase the odds for 
long-term success. 

Building upon these initial steps, cities can tackle the more complex chal-
lenges of establishing communications strategies, building infrastructure, 
promoting community involvement and buy-in, gathering information, and 
engaging youth, parents, and other residents. The municipal partnerships 
profiled in this report provide helpful guidance for cities in these and other 
key areas. 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 7

Ten Ideas for Getting Started

1. Set goals for child safety and well-being in the mayors annual 
state of the city address. 
2. Survey people who will benefit from programs/initiatives. 
3. Develop memoranda of understanding to begin sharing data. 
4. Highlight the costs of doing nothing. 
5. Hold small-scale, monthly meet your mayor and police chief  
breakfasts or lunches, or regular public meetings. 
6. Have the mayor and chief of police meet one-on-one regularly to 
discuss the safety of children, youth, and families. 
7. Sign up unusual suspects as partners (e.g., a public health 
officer or commissioner). 
8. Direct one or more city agencies and the police department to 
collaboratively develop and submit a funding proposal. 
9. Get young people involved in planning, implementation, and 
evaluation. 
10. Close ineffective programs. 

Adapted from discussions of NLCs Advisory Group on 
Mayor / Law Enforcement Partnerships, June 2006 

Page 8 Blank page

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 9

City Summaries

This section highlights the efforts of seven cities to create 
mayor-law enforcement partnerships that promote the 
safety and well-being of children and youth. Each city 
summary examines the motivation of the city to focus on 
children and youth; describes the decision to create a 
partnership as a strategic response; summarizes the steps 
taken in the partnership and the accomplishments to 
date; identifies the appropriate goals and measurements 
of success; and reflects on aspects of its efforts that could 
be replicated by other cities. 

Page 10 Blank page

Page 11

CITY SUMMARIES

Boston, Massachusetts
(pop. 559,034) 

Bostons Ceasefire strategy is by now well-known. This partnership of 
law enforcement, service providers, and other community leaders 
articulates clear, direct norms and messages that violence will not be 
tolerated and that services and alternatives are available to those most likely 
to become offenders and victims of violence. Ceasefire involves a quick 
response by police to flare-ups of firearm violence based on shared 
intelligence, direct communication with gang members to let them know that 
violence will bring intensive law enforcement attention combined with an 
offer of help, a focus on prosecuting the most dangerous offenders, and 
disruption of the flow of arms to gangs. 

In the early 1990s, with roughly 30 percent of the 150 homicides per year 
taking the lives of young people, Boston seemed truly out of control. 
Children and youth were avoiding school and staying home. Among 10 cities 
it surveyed, the Centers for Disease Control gave Boston the highest score on 
its fear scale. A shoot-out in a local church over the casket of a teen victim of 
gun violence during a funeral service brought the simmering issue to a public 
boil. The community, led in this case by local ministers, met with Mayor 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 12

Thomas Menino and then-Chief of Police Paul Evans. Something had to be 
done now and that something would require the energy of everybody. In 
this cauldron, Ceasefire, which led to what is now called the Boston 
Miracle, was forged. 

Ceasefires core elements include a detailed analysis of where the violence 
is and who is perpetrating it, an intense communication effort to current and 
potential troublemakers that the consequences of violent acts will be swift 
and serious, comprehensive help and service provision to at-risk youth and 
their families, and the voice of the community clearly expressing its balanced 
norm of intervention and enforcement that we will not tolerate violence 
here and we stand ready to help. 

It worked. For two years in the mid-1990s, Boston recorded no youth 
homicides. It was indeed a miracle that was adopted as a strategy by many 
jurisdictions across the country. 

As the city witnessed the success of a dramatic reduction in crime, 
changes in project leadership, and shifting municipal priorities, homicide 
rates again began to increase. The city recently committed itself to reviving 
Ceasefire, and has launched innovative companion efforts for serving youth 
based on Ceasefires strategic foundation, such as Operation Homefront, the 
Boston Reentry Initiative, and the Violent Offender Reentry Program. 

Operation Homefront, which began as an informal arrangement between 
police and clergy to visit the homes of troubled juveniles together, has 
become formalized. School police officers and administration officials iden-
tify schools with trouble brewing. Anti-violence presentations are made in 
those schools to the entire student body. Joint visits are scheduled by police 
and clergy to the homes of troubled students needing individual attention. 
Services, both educational and social, are offered to parents and children to 
assist in problem-solving. Family visits are followed up by calls, letters, or 
additional visits. 

Homefronts goals combine a promise of safety with a promise of support 
for the future: To reduce violence in the Boston Public Schools andin 
neighborhoodsto ensure the safety and security of each student attending 
Bostons schools and in their neighborhoodsto provide families the 
support they need to ensure their childrens success in school and life 
(from the Boston Police Departments description of Operation Homefront). 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 13

While outcome measures are not available, process measures  the number 
of visits, school presentations, and follow-up services provided  are impres-
sive. Support from the mayor was essential. According to Jen Maconochie, 
director of strategic planning for the Police Department, Mayor Menino 
helped the schools and police get together. He also involved his Department 
for Youth and Families as well as [the Departments of] Public Health and 
Parks and Recreation. We could not have done it without his support. 

Recognizing that much of the increase in violent crime could be attrib-
uted to former offenders returning to their communities from jail or prison, 
the city created the Boston Reentry Initiative (BRI). Its strategic core parallels 
Ceasefire: focus on enforcement and assistance for the most serious returning 
offenders and ensure that the communitys voice is heard. While BRI focuses 
on adult inmates, most of them between the ages of 18-32, a companion 
effort, the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Program, has been started in 
the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services (DYS). Tina Saetti, who 
designed and started the program, says, Know that we dont take creampuffs. 
We focus on the worst of the worst, the impact players, gang members, those 
in for attempted murder, carjacking, firearm possession, those who hurt the 
community most. We screen for trouble. The results? A 25% recidivism rate 
compared to 46% for DYS as a whole.
 
Although the proportions may differ, Ceasefire, Operation Homefront, 
BRI, and the Violent Offender Reentry Program share the same core 
elements: enforcement, prevention, provision of services, and a clear message 
from municipal and community leaders that the violence must stop, and we 
are here to help. 

Contact: 
Blake Norton, Director of Public Affairs and Community Programs 
Office of the Police Commissioner 
Boston Police Department 
One Schroeder Plaza 
Boston, MA 02120-2014 
(617) 343-4500 
NortonB.bpd@ci.boston.ma.us 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 14

Leadership Keys
l Communicated a unified message that balances prevention, 
intervention, enforcement, and community voice. 

City leaders and their community partners simultaneously 
offered support services to at-risk youth and violent offenders 
while emphasizing the consequences of criminal behavior. Key 
stakeholders transmitted this message through schools, churches, 
home visits, and other interactions with service providers, law 
enforcement officials, and community members. The dual focus 
on enforcement and assistance to young people dramatically 
reduced homicide rates and recidivism. 

l Used leadership roles to strengthen a collaborative approach. 

The mayor and chief of police were both instrumental in 
fostering a collaborative environment that tapped the strengths 
of diverse public agencies and nonprofit organizations. Each 
agency or group at the table offered a unique asset: the ability to 
reach young people through the schools, connect youth with 
services, reinforce community norms and morals, or instill a 
sense of safety. The mayor repeatedly used his leadership position 
to convene these partners and sustain the momentum over time. 

l Implemented a highly effective community oriented policing 
strategy. 

Bostons community-oriented approach led to improved law 
enforcement and greater success in preventing violence. For 
instance, by participating in joint home visits with local clergy, 
police officers forged stronger connections with residents, deliv-
ered a credible message of support and enforcement to youth, 
and targeted young people who were at greatest risk. 

Page 15
CITY SUMMARIES

Burnsville, Minnesota
(pop. 59,159) 

Centrally located across from the police station in Burnsville, 
Minnesota, a Twin Cities suburb, THE GARAGE is a supervised city 
recreation and entertainment center heavily used by area teens and 
supported by many community institutions. THE GARAGE had its start in 
July 1999 as the old garage for city vehicles, and since then has grown into a 
community. Now young people develop and drive a broad and vibrant range 
of programs at THE GARAGE, in cooperation with adults ranging from 
recreation professionals to police. Music that appeals to local youth is just one 
of the happy sounds emanating almost daily from this safe space. 

With a budget of $240,000  only one-third of which comes from the 
city  and weekday programs ranging from smoking cessation to political 
debate, THE GARAGE has about 500 registered young people participating in 
different education and recreation programs and an average of 600 unregis-
tered drop-in youth per week; THE GARAGE also reaches thousands more 
through weekend music events. THE GARAGE recorded more than 30,000 
visits by young people from Burnsville and the surrounding area to its 
programs and events in 2005. 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 16

THE GARAGE keeps me out of trouble because 
the troublemakers dont want to go there 
Its my favorite place. People actually get kids 
and want to make an environment for them. 
 One youths response to THE GARAGE, a teen recreation center in Burnsville 

Additional support and leadership for THE GARAGE comes from three 
overlapping sources: 

l The City of Burnsville took the lead in redeveloping its facility for teen 
use, and now provides staff to administer programs, write proposals, 
build community partnerships, and maintain the facility. The mayors 
confidence is why the program worksnot sure I could do this job 
without her supportits a big risk, says Eric Billiet, manager of 
THE GARAGE. 

l THE GARAGE Advisory Board develops and implements programs, 
outreach, and support services, and includes Mayor Elizabeth Kautz, a 
rotating group of three police officers, the Dakota County Public Health 
Department, and youth. Once the police began to see that there was a real 
structure and philosophy at the center they started to respond more posi-
tively, Billiet explains. The police have become liaisonsthe chief has 
always been a supporter of the center and has made it clear to the Police 
Department: we will work with these youth. Both the mayor and chief of 
police have embraced the argument that these successful collaborations 
can yield long-term reductions in crime. 

l The third leg of the stool is the Burnsville Youth Center Foundation, 
which raises funds from local businesses and agencies such as civic organi-
zations and Chamber of Commerce members. 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 17

Burnsville points to two major results from THE GARAGE and its philos-
ophy of youth-led programming: delinquency prevention and reduction, and 
positive changes in the communitys perception of teenagers. The safe space 
aspect of THE GARAGE creates an environment free from drugs and alcohol. 
Participating youth report decreases in substance abuse as well as unlawful 
behavior such as vandalism, theft, and fighting. Seventeen percent reported 
better school attendance, 25 percent reported getting along with teachers 
better, 21 percent reported more motivation to do well in school, and 33 
percent reported an increase in good decision-making about drugs and 
alcohol. Nearly 40 percent of parents of participating youth report improve-
ments in their childrens behavior. THE GARAGE has given my son a sense 
of being part of the community in which we live, reflects one Burnsville resi-
dent. The proportion of Burnsville residents reporting in 2003 that teens are 
listened to and valued was nearly twice as high as when THE GARAGE first 
opened its doors in 1999. 

For other communities interested in pursuing a safe space approach, 
Burnsville recommends monitoring accomplishments and creating an air of 
accountability through participant and parent surveys and focus groups. The 
mayor pays close attention to community surveysthey are what the city 
listens to, says Billiet. In addition, staff of THE GARAGE note that youth-led 
participatory programming requires greater staff effort. Last, staff members 
recommend consistent efforts to maintain relationships with all partners, as 
the success of THE GARAGE has depended upon the respect the center earns 
from the police, the mayor, and other community members. 

Contact: 
Eric J. Billiet, Manager 
THE GARAGE 
City of Burnsville 
100 Civic Center Parkway 
Burnsville, MN 55337 
(952) 895-4578 
eric.billiet@ci.burnsville.mn.us 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 18

Leadership Keys

l Engaged youth in creating a safe and appealing environment. 

Rather than setting up new programs for teens and hoping they 
would participate, the City of Burnsville ensured that program-
ming at THE GARAGE was driven by teens. Because youth had a 
leading voice in deciding how the facility was used, THE 
GARAGE offered relevant and stimulating activities for area teens 
while at the same time providing them with a safe and supervised 
place to get together. 

l Measured results to bolster community support. 

By using data to demonstrate how THE GARAGE promotes 
positive behavior among youth and changes adults perceptions 
of teenagers, the city helped make the case to donors and 
community members for why the center should continue 
operating. The collection of these data to measure results also 
helped sustain the broad-based collaboration that is essential to 
the effectiveness of the model. 

l Creatively deployed city resources to focus on prevention. 

By redeveloping a municipal garage and transforming it into a 
teen center, Burnsville found an innovative way to invest in its 
young people and seek long-term reductions in violence and risk-
taking behaviors. City leaders are confident that this commitment 
to positive youth development will also yield savings over time, 
lowering future costs associated with juvenile crime and other 
antisocial activities. 

Page 19
CITY SUMMARIES

El Paso, Texas
(pop. 598,590) 

El Paso had threatened to put career criminologists out of business. 
During the 1990s, El Paso recorded one of the lowest crime rates in the 
nation for a city of its size, despite having a low average income, low 
educational attainment, and a high influx of immigrants  factors 
traditionally correlated with high crime rates. 

In recent years, however, things began to change: gang activity increased 
and homicides spiked. The police department, with the full blessing of then-
Mayor Larry Francis and city council, committed itself to stopping the 
violence and to protecting and supporting our children and families. 
It began with a full re-examination of what it was doing and how.
 
The examination resulted in a prime strategic shift that has been 
sustained under the leadership of several mayors, including current Mayor 
John Cook: a redefinition of policing from arrests to solving the problem. 
Officers increased their presence in schools, attended sports events, helped to 
staff summer camps, and coached teams. Police went into the community to 
learn more about residents concerns. Relationships were forged not only 
with schools, but with recreation centers, health clinics, and the faith 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 20

community. Relationships extended vertically into the community and hori-
zontally across agencies in city government such as parks and recreation and 
zoning. The mayor, city manager, and city councilors were a constant pres-
ence, speaking at events, opening programs, presenting awards, creating inter-
and intra-agency partnerships, and giving the police chief and his staff full 
rein for a strategy that, early on, showed signs of dramatic success.
 
Traditional programs such as Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE), 
the Police Athletic League, and school resource officers were revitalized, but 
the centerpiece became the creation and building of the Youth Initiative 
Program (YIP). YIP, a forum of 208 public and private member agencies 
from across the city, holds a police-chaired meeting on the third Thursday of 
each month. YIP brings together all facets of the community to provide a 
networking forum that allows agencies and citizens to participate in 
addressing the problems that affect youth. YIP agencies work together to 
target and provide early identification and referral services for El Pasos at-
risk youth and to develop youth programming. 

YIP meetings are action-oriented work sessions focused on improving 
services and outcomes for youth through roundtable discussions of specific 
cases, prevention/intervention applications, and potential new programs. 
Service gaps and service duplication are identified. The core elements are 
built on the theoretical foundation of community oriented policing and 
cross-sector collaboration. They include the Multi-Agency Referral System 
(MARS), which provides the cooperative delivery of social services to 
students at a level where they can be further supported through their school, 
a Youth Helpline Directory of Services that is provided to the schools and 
community and updated continually on the police department web site, and 
a monthly newsletter that heralds community events, celebrates successes, 
flags problems, and provides tips on youth safety and development. YIP 
partners are dedicated to a holistic approach and through constant listening, 
critiquing, and total transparency, provide multilayered services, from tattoo 
removal and truancy reduction to afterschool programs, teen health, and 
family supportdoing whatever it takesmaybe all it takes is getting the 
family a refrigerator, says Lt. Alfred Lowe. 

YIP has also been successful at filling service gaps by sharing accountability 
for specific cases. For example, one case presented at a MARS meeting involved 
a high school student not attending school because he was in a homeless shelter 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 21

If the homicide rate continues to go down, 
Im going to have to get a hobby. 
 Lt. Alfred Lowe, Section Commander  
Crimes Against Persons, El Paso Police Department 

and had no transportation. He was further disadvantaged by having only one 
arm. Through agency-school collaboration, he was provided transportation, 
basic needs, and guidance. These services helped him graduate from high 
school. He later received two scholarships to the University of Texas at El Paso, 
worked there as a security guard, and moved into his own apartment. Further, 
a local doctor provided him with a prosthetic arm. The student now plays the 
guitar and wrote and sang a song in thanks to the community. 

Another case involving a student referred to MARS because of truancy 
and declining grades revealed that his family duty was to take care of an 
elderly grandparent. Services were secured for the grandparent so that
the student could attend school. He also received tutoring and counseling. 

El Paso combines both process and outcome measures. Process measures 
include the number of agencies attending the monthly meetings, the growing 
number of youth enrolled in programs, and the number of families served. In 
terms of outcomes, there has been a steady decline in youth arrested since 
1999, including a 20 percent drop from 2003 to 2004. In addition, the total 
number of homicides was 14 in 2005, and as of late November 2006, there 
have been 13 homicides. 

The city is clear about the core elements needed for replication. The 
primary element is attitude, a belief that were in it together, helping kids, 
making El Paso the safest city in the country, and that a city must commit 
itself to a community-wide campaign based on the realization that the city 
simply will not work unless in full partnership with its citizens. The 
embracing vision must include stopping crime and serving children and 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 22

The primary element is attitude, a belief that 
were in it together, helping kids, making El Paso 
the safest city in the country. 

families: It will die if you just focus on crime. Thats important, but we have 
to look at having good things happen for kids. Implicit is the belief that 
enforcement, prevention, and intervention are part of a natural whole. 
Information sharing is vital, along with looking at others as partners instead 
of competitors. We needed a central clearinghouse, and we needed 
everybodys buy in. Services had to be across the board. 

Then there is a dimension not often recognized or practiced, namely, a 
predisposition to change: Were flexible. Needs change. For instance, out of 
14 homicides last year, six were because of domestic violence. So this year, 
were starting a domestic violence program. I told my guys, Youre on this job 
now, but it will probably be only for two years. Dont get too comfortable. 
Things change. Crime changes. Communities change. If a program becomes 
fixed, it will eventually either wither or become irrelevant and unresponsive 
to new community needs. 

Finally, advises Lowe, when you bring your people together monthly, 
make sure to feed them. 

Contact: 
Nell Tovar, Coordinator 
Youth Initiative Program 
El Paso Police Department 
9600 Dyer Street 
El Paso, TX 79924 
(915) 298-9604 
TovarM@ci.el-paso.tx.us 
 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 23

Leadership Keys 

l Embraced a broad vision of child and family well-being.
 
City leaders and police reframed El Pasos approach to public 
safety by focusing greater attention on underlying problems 
facing local residents. This shift is reflected in how the community 
now measures its progress: while continuing to track key indica-
tors such as youth homicides and arrest rates, El Paso also gauges 
whether it is reaching youth and families with critical programs 
and services designed to address their needs. 

l Dramatically expanded community oriented policing and 
collaboration. 

As police became immersed in all facets of community life, new 
partnership opportunities emerged. Both police and top city 
leaders worked across internal boundaries and engaged other key 
institutions in the community. The Youth Initiative Program 
institutionalizes and sustains this commitment to collaboration 
on behalf of the citys youth. 

l Remained flexible, responding to changing circumstances 
and needs. 

The widespread collaboration between city leaders, law enforce-
ment officials, and community partners has enhanced the citys 
ability to respond to emerging trends and new developments. 
This constant re-examination of priorities and openness to 
change increases the likelihood that El Paso will identify and 
address new challenges quickly and effectively. 

Page 24 Blank page

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CITY SUMMARIES
Page 25

New Brighton, Minnesota
(pop. 20,738) 

In l995, the City of New Brighton Public Safety Police Division (NBPS) 
noted a significant increase in calls for service from a 364-unit apartment 
complex in the heart of the city known as Polynesian Village. New 
Brighton, once a quiet suburb, found itself confronted with crimes more typi-
cally experienced in urban areas. Crime shot up, said then-City Manager Matt 
Fulton. Neighbors complained; halls were in chaos; parties went on all the 
time, and the crime became like inner-city crimes  open air drug dealing, 
assaults, prostitution. Even worse, certain residents were becoming increasingly 
hostile toward the city. Firemen couldnt even respond to alarms sometimes 
because of people loitering in the halls. When responding to one arson call, the 
police were surrounded by hostile neighbors. It was very, very volatile, observes 
Bob Jacobson, New Brightons director of public safety.
 
Crime  and the dramatic increase in the number and severity of calls 
for services  spurred the city to act. But concern for children and youth 
was an equally important spur. Kids were not supervised, says Jacobson. 
We didnt want our kids to get hurt, victimized, or improperly influenced. 
We wanted our kids cared for, fed well, and away from the bad influences  
away from fights, drug dealing, and negative adults. 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 26

We didnt want our kids to get hurt, victimized, 
or improperly influenced. We wanted our kids 
cared for, fed well, and away from the bad 
influences  away from fights, drug dealing, 
and negative adults. 
 Bob Jacobson, director of public safety, City of New Brighton 

Working in concert, the city council, NBPS, and Mayor Steve Larson created a 
four-part strategy. Its most dramatic innovation was the passage of a landmark 
ordinance aimed at apartment complex owners. If calls for service exceeded a 
certain number, licensing costs went up to cover the service. If calls kept coming 
in, the license itself was put in jeopardy. Said Fulton,We hit them in the pocket 
book. Half-funded by licensing fines, the city created a Crime-Free Multi-
Housing Officer position and set up a Multi-Housing Managers Coalition to 
provide a forum for airing issues, affixing responsibility, and solving problems. 

The second part of the strategy involved enhanced neighborhood-oriented 
policing. Police increased their visibility. A satellite office staffed by a neighbor-
hood officer was set up in the complex. Residents were invited to drop in. The 
department offered free fingerprinting, KID Care pamphlets to assist in identi-
fying children in the event of a lost child or abduction, and fire and police station 
tours. Crime watch groups were formed. City councilors, the mayor, and the 
police chief attended neighborhood get-togethers. Police officers offered a Krispy 
Kreme with a Kop time to encourage residents to share concerns. Citizens were 
encouraged to attend the nine-week Citizens Police Academy and seven-week 
Emergency Response Team training. The annual National Night Out was 
recognized as one of the most successful (and largest) in the nation. 

The third strategy focused on NBPS responding swiftly and thoroughly 
to all incidents. The citizens felt unprotected, as if NBPS did not have things 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 27

in control. NBPS discovered that its response rate to citizen complaints 
could be improved to visibly reassure the public, and as a strategy to directly 
discourage criminal activity in targeted neighborhoods. 

The creation of the Poly Partners coalition is the fourth component 
of the strategy and demonstrates the citys commitment to community 
empowerment, service provision, and improvement in the quality of life. 
Partners included city agencies such as NBPS and the parks and 
recreation department, schools, community groups such as Youth 
and Family Services, the faith sector, business leaders, and the newly-
formed Community Partnership for Youth on whose board the city 
manager sits. Tutoring, mentoring, recreation, and afterschool initiatives 
are among the programs offered. Poly Partnership goals include 
decreasing resident turnover, decreasing the crime rate, providing 
residents with opportunities for personal growth, and instilling within 
residents a sense of ownership. 

The city is proud of the results this partnership has achieved. An evalua-
tion conducted by the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation in 2003 found that: 

l 96 percent of respondents were either satisfied or very satisfied with 
police responses to calls, a jump from 90 percent in 2001. 

l 91 percent were either satisfied or very satisfied with how they were 
treated by the police, compared with 75 percent in 2001. 

l More than 50 percent of residents reported less or much less graffiti and 
gang activity. 

l The number of people stating that they felt safe rose from 55 percent in 2001 to 77 
percent in 2003. 

l Calls to the police dropped by a stunning 50 percent, from 1,200 in 2001 
to 600 in 2003. 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 28

I have to say, when you have success, 
momentum develops. Everybody is excited and is 
confirmed in this new way of doing business. 
 Matt Fulton, former city manager, City of New Brighton 

Fulton says the New Brighton model is absolutely replicable. The core 
elements include: full commitment by city leaders, both administratively and 
in terms of visibility; a commitment to community oriented policing; part-
nering with the community to provide services and to reaffirm expectations 
and responsibilities; clarity of expectations (and obligations) to apartment 
complex owners; and a commitment to measuring results, which are fed 
back to city and community partners. 

I have to say, concludes Fulton, when you have success, momentum 
develops. Everybody is excited and is confirmed in this new way of doing 
business. 

In 2004, the City of New Brighton won the International Association of 
Chiefs of Police Community Policing Award, and in 2005 the National 
League of Cities honored the city with the silver award in the James C. 
Howland Awards for Municipal Enrichment for this community policing 
partnership. 

Mayor Steve Larson 
City of New Brighton 
803 Old Highway 8, NW 
New Brighton, MN 55112 
(651) 636-4997 
stevenlarson1@comcast.net 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 29

Leadership Keys

l Used municipal policies to create new incentives for violence 
prevention. 

By increasing licensing costs for the owners of apartment 
complexes that were the source of high numbers of calls to the 
police department, the city promoted shared responsibility for 
the safety of the apartments. This system of graduated licensing 
fees also contributed to the citys overall community policing 
strategy by opening up a funding stream to support new 
problem-solving efforts. 

l Improved community relations through enhanced neighbor-
hood policing. 

The Amherst H. Wilder Foundations evaluation results highlight 
a remarkable turnaround in the relationship between apartment 
complex residents and police. By establishing a more visible pres-
ence at the apartments, increasing outreach, and opening new 
lines of communication with local residents, city leaders and 
police officers have increased levels of trust throughout the 
community. 

l Formed partnerships to empower residents. 

The partnerships between city leaders, the police, schools, busi-
nesses, and community groups have allowed the city to focus on 
issues of neighborhood and family stability, as well as opportuni-
ties for youth development. Particularly in a small community 
such as New Brighton, city officials would otherwise find it very 
difficult to tackle these challenges on their own. 

Page 30 Blank Page

CITY SUMMARIES
Page 31

New Haven, Connecticut
(pop. 124,791) 

In the early 1990s, America seemed to be awash in violence  the first 
Iraq war, gang wars and killings, and, close to home, the grisly murder of 
a young mother in New Haven. New Havens former Chief of Police Nick 
Pastore, at the home of the murder victim while forensic evidence was being 
collected, suddenly came upon young children frozen in fear, sitting on a 
couch. When the chief thought about how little the police had to offer these 
children and the likelihood that officers would encounter them again, either 
as victims or perpetrators of future crime, he reached out to former Yale 
Child Study Center Director Dr. Donald Cohen, and the two leaders began 
what would become a model partnership. 

The Child Development-Community Policing Program (CDCP), created 
soon thereafter, was concerned that trauma experienced by children could 
later explode if not handled properly. We needed help. We knew we needed 
to understand the issue, says Captain Stephen Verrelli of the Department of 
Police Services. The time issue is critical. Cops see the issue now. The clini-
cians see the results years later. We cannot let so much time pass. Early 
victims of crime often become perpetrators. The initiative establishes a part-

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 32

nership between the city and local university to explore community-focused 
strategies. The initiatives mission, to heal the wounds that chronic exposure 
to violence inflicts on children, embraces extensive activity and detailed 
operating procedures developed since the program began in 1991. 

Dr. Steven Marans, director of the National Center for Children Exposed 
to Violence, helped create the partnership. One cornerstone of the police-
mental health relationship is developing an understanding of each others 
work. We train them in child development, says Marans, and clinicians 
learn about policing. Rookie cops get eight hours of training in child devel-
opment and trauma response at the police academy, veteran officers get 
regular in-service training, and supervisors get advanced seminars. Senior 
officers teach a seminar for clinicians in police procedures and we continue to 
learn from observing on ride-alongs. Marans makes the unusual observation 
that good police and clinical work are linked: A sense of safety and security 
is needed before adequate clinical work can begin. Sometimes external order 
is needed to set the context for healing. Current Police Chief Francisco Ortiz 
agrees that policing and support for families go together. Addressing the 
needs of children and families in our community is what police officers do 
every day of the week. Its the most important part of our work. 

Marans assertion is played out operationally. Police, clinicians, child 
protective service, and juvenile justice staffers meet weekly to discuss cases. 
Following a shooting or a particularly violent event, police go through the 
neighborhood knocking on doors explaining what happened and leaving 
pamphlets about changes parents can expect from their children following 
their exposure to violence and how to contact their local police officer or the 
Child Study Center. This gives two messages, says Verrelli, that what 
happened is not right, and that we care. 

Marans claims that support by Mayor John DeStefano, Jr., is essential. He 
has opened the city to us, helping us get into the schools, letting us train all 
his departments, bringing in Homeland Securityand, of greatest 
importance, he and the city council support us during budget time. Its not 
just MOUs. The mayors people are fully involved, case conferences, staff 
donated in kind, all of that. 

The partnership among the city, police, Yale Child Study Center, probation, 
child protection, and other community agencies rests firmly on a commitment 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 33

to community oriented policing and extensive communication. Police are 
deployed throughout the city, and neighborhood-based substations support 
both police and community activity. Verrelli asserts that Community oriented 
policing means we keep our guys in the neighborhood. Some of the guys are in 
neighborhoods on bikes. Their job is to know the players. We do prevention and 
intervention. For example, we show up unannounced at the door of a person 
convicted of domestic violence. The accused knows hes being watched, the 
victim knows we are available, the kids know we care, and everybody feels safer. 

The CDCP program is one of the prime reasons that crime in New Haven 
has dropped by 61 percent since 1991. Victims of domestic violence feel more 
comfortable with the police and call for less serious incidents rather than waiting 
until there is a dire emergency. School resource officers, present in all New Haven 
schools, provide surveillance, get to know the kids, and help them get into after-
school programs. Demands for the Child Study Centers services have increased. 
Crime reporting has gone up, meaning that citizens increasingly trust the police. 

The most striking sign of success is that the program is no longer a 
program. It has been institutionalized. Its another tool on our belts, says 
Verrelli. Working together has become a way of doing business, says 
Marans. It informs everything we do, from training to emergency response 
to delivery of clinical services. Both officers and mental health professionals 
in New Haven have developed a new way of thinking about children and 
families caught up in violence, and that isnt going to go away. 

Contacts: 
Capt. Stephen Verrelli 
New Haven Department of Police Services 
One Union Avenue 
New Haven, CT 06519 
(203) 946-6966 

Dr. Steven Marans, Director 
National Center for Children Exposed to Violence 
230 South Frontage Road 
New Haven, CT 06520-7900 
(203) 785-7047 
nccev@info.med.yale.edu 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 34

Leadership Keys

l Built upon leadership commitments rooted in personal 
experience. 

The police chief witnessed the traumatic impact that violence has 
on children throughout the community and provided strong 
support for New Havens innovative response. Similarly, the 
mayor and his key staff were directly involved in the development 
and operations of the Child Development-Community Policing 
Program. This first-hand engagement by city and police leaders 
has sustained the initiative through multiple budget cycles and 
enabled New Haven to bring together different systems in pursuit 
of a common goal. 

l Leveraged local university support. 

The articulation of a focused goal by city leaders  healing the 
wounds that chronic exposure to violence inflicts on children  
provided an opportunity for the city to tap valuable university 
resources and expertise. The resulting partnership between the 
New Haven police department and the Yale Child Study Center 
created a context for learning that has helped each partner 
improve its effectiveness and led to a new focus on prevention 
and intervention that did not previously exist. 

l Took multiple steps to build trust between residents 
and police. 

Police have offered families additional support and increased their 
presence in schools and neighborhoods. In the process, commu-
nity relations have improved and residents are more likely to turn 
to police officers for help. 

CITY SUMMARIES 
Page 35

Sallisaw, Oklahoma
(pop. 8,621) 

Sallisaw, Oklahoma, is one of many places in rural America that have felt 
the effects of violence and lawlessness among methamphetamine users 
and dealers. Particularly worrisome to town leaders has been the expo-
sure of children to drugs, domestic violence, and other negative influences. As 
a supplement to ongoing law enforcement efforts, city leaders determined to 
fight back directly on behalf of, and with, Sallisaws children. This determina-
tion took shape as Student Heroes in Everyday Living Decisions (SHIELD), a 
drug abuse awareness and education program in which police officers begin 
teaching anti-drug messages, anti-bullying, and anger management skills as 
early as kindergarten. 

One way to view SHIELD is as a bridge between the office of Mayor 
Shannon Vann, the police department, the schools, and other city agencies 
such as the Parks and Recreation Department. SHIELD also draws support 
from the city manager, civic organizations such as the Lions and Rotary 
Clubs, and churches. SHIELD grew out of programs operated under federal 
Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) and Office of Community 
Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants. 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 36

As a supplement to ongoing law enforcement 
efforts, city leaders determined to fight back 
directly on behalf of, and with, 
Sallisaws children. 

The Police Department stations a school resource officer (SRO) on the 
elementary school campus full-time during the school year. The SRO helps 
raise students awareness of the danger of drug abuse by discussing bad 
things to put in your body, and has expanded age-appropriate education 
and drug awareness programs for all elementary school grades. The SRO 
also serves as an instructor and developer of police reserve schools, which 
allow for certification of reserve officers who back up the full-time police 
force for patrols and big events after extensive training (many become full-
time officers in the future). In addition, the police chief started a student 
police academy that helps students learn about basic police work and 
receive a certificate of completion. A formal agreement between the school 
superintendent and city manager underlies this arrangement. The five-
week SHIELD program involves classes that take place one hour per week 
for students in fifth grade, and follow an instructors manual and 
workbooks. 

As top city leaders, the mayor and police chief play active roles in the 
oversight of SHIELD. The towns police chief and school resource officer 
keep the mayor involved by detailing success stories and jointly 
brainstorming ways to constantly improve the program. The chief of 
police has made specialized training for the SRO available via the annual 
municipal budget, and has assigned a colorful special vehicle to the SRO 
as well. 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 37

The mayor and chief of police participate together in SHIELD course 
graduations and honors each year, along with the fire chief, city coun-
cilmembers, and school board members. The mayors role in SHIELD also 
extends to setting the climate for what will be done in schools. For 
instance, the mayor and the city council established a no tolerance 
policy regarding violence in school. In addition, the assistant chief of 
police and city manager provided full support to a senior police officer to 
develop the program. 

The police departments reporting systems suggest that SHIELDs lessons 
have helped in reducing violence and substance abuse. The citys success with 
the five-week SHIELD course for fifth graders has prompted development of 
an educational program for younger students as well. The governor of 
Oklahoma has recognized the success of the program with additional funding 
in the form of a Governors Safe Schools grant. In addition, teachers, princi-
pals, and officers on the street testify that greater awareness of drug-related 
dangers has lessened incidents of drug abuse.
 
City officials in Sallisaw point to continuity in personnel as having played 
a key role in the development and sustainability of the program. Sharing the 
cost of the SRO salary between Sallisaw schools and the police department 
during the school year has also added longevity to the program. Sallisaw 
estimates that a community of similar size could launch a program such as 
SHIELD at a cost (excluding salary) of some $8,000 for program supplies, 
travel, and training, with ongoing costs thereafter of $5,000 per year. 

Contact: 
Chief Shaloa Edwards 
Sallisaw Police Department 
101 West Chickasaw 
Sallisaw, OK 74955 
(918) 775-4177 
901pd@diamondnet.us 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 38

Leadership Keys 

l Intervened at early ages to combat drug abuse. 

The SHIELD program responded to the growth of methampheta-
mine use among young people by seeking to educate children in 
elementary schools about the dangers of drug abuse. Support 
from the mayor and police chief has underscored the value that 
Sallisaw places on early prevention efforts and leverages state 
resources to carry out the program. 

l Launched a partnership with the school system to ensure 
sustainability. 

Leadership from the mayor and police chief also created a climate 
of collaboration throughout the community, underscoring that 
both the city and the schools have a compelling interest in 
preventing drug abuse and keeping young people safe. The part-
nership with the school district resulted in a commitment to joint 
funding of a school resource officer, a structure that greatly 
enhances the sustainability of the SHIELD program. 

l Provided staff training and benefits to promote continuity. 

Specialized training and designation of a distinctive police vehicle 
for use by the school resource officer represented two ways in 
which the chief of police signaled his support for the SHIELD 
program. By avoiding turnover in this critical staff position, 
Sallisaw has been able to keep the initiative growing and on track. 

CITY SUMMARIES
Page 39

San Jos, California 
(pop. 912,332)

The broad-based Mayors Gang Prevention Task Force in San Jos, and 
the $3 million annual Bringing Everyones Strengths Together (BEST) 
funding mechanism that the task force oversees, are structures that have 
evolved over the past 15 years to meet changing needs while helping San Jos 
maintain its status as the nations safest large city. Efforts led by the Task Force 
have helped reduce the per capita rate of violent crime in the city by 53 percent 
between 1994 and 2003 and lower Juvenile Hall admits by 59 percent between 
1994 to 2004. Also of note, the task force tag line has changed from the original 
Project Neighborhood Crackdown to todays Reclaiming Our Youth. 

San Jos started down this path when persistent faith-based community 
organizers began asking then-Mayor Susan Hammer to coordinate a response to 
the 300 percent rise in the violent juvenile crime rate that occurred in the late 
1980s. The pleas of one outspoken mother for the city to help see her daughter 
safely through to adulthood resonated with the mayor and her agency heads and 
prompted action. Former Mayor Ron Gonzales continued this effort in recent 
years, working closely with city managers, police chiefs, and the community to 
reduce violence and make sure young people feel and stay connected. 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 40

The now time-tested structure in San Jos has the Task Force carrying its 
work forward through frequent meetings of a Technical Team of worker 
bees drawn from city and county agencies and community-based organiza-
tions, as well as a regular convening of a Policy Team of leaders (including the 
mayor, police chief, business, probation). Community-based organizations 
such as faith-based People Acting in Community Together (PACT) and gang 
intervention experts from California Youth Outreach, along with the state 
parole office and U.S. Attorney, also participate. 

Each year, depending on conditions in the city, the Task Force determines 
a new ratio for guiding the distribution of available funds among BEST 
grantees  30 grants of $5,000 to $225,000  depending on the assessed 
need for prevention or intervention services. BEST grants operate within an 
asset-building framework, and grantees are subject to rigorous performance 
monitoring. Each grantee organization must also establish its qualifications 
by responding to a Request for Qualifications (RFQ), and must provide 
matching funds.
 
Every three years, the Task Force goes through a formal process of 
rethinking its strategy and objectives based on an assessment of changing 
community realities. The process includes an annual retreat of the Policy and 
Technical Teams, community input solicited through a BEST needs 
assessment, and a close review of the results of annual BEST evaluations. The 
current strategic plan emphasizes a new intervention-based strategy with 
several key elements. An example of the evaluation efforts that occurs 
through this planning process is the determination to spend 70% of BEST 
funds on intervention  as opposed to 39 percent and 54 percent, 
respectively, in the last two grant cycles.
 
Police Department cooperation and involvement with community-
based BEST grantees is substantial. Crime prevention specialists teach chil-
dren how to use thinking skills to avoid trouble, intervention teams handle 
escalating threats, and a Police Activities League provides social activities. In 
addition to these roles, the Police Department also leads the citys gang-
prevention efforts. 

Overall leadership for San Joss efforts begins with the mayor, who calls 
and chairs the monthly Task Force meetings and relies on staff from two city 
departments for briefings and support (the Department of Parks, Recreation, 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 41

and Neighborhood Services and the Police Department). The mayors leader-
ship role also comes through at budget time, when he can use his final budget 
authority to ensure funding for BEST. Indeed, mayoral leadership has proven 
critical in a city with a trim police force, widely varying socioeconomic 
conditions in different parts of the city, 19 school districts, and a county 
government that fulfills many social services functions. Sitting alongside the 
mayor at Task Force meetings are the chief of police and key police 
lieutenants, as well as school superintendents or their deputies. Nationally 
prominent retired Superior Court Judge Leonard P. Edwards also has 
provided leadership through his consistent emphasis on multi-sided collabo-
ration from his longstanding post presiding over Santa Clara County Juvenile 
Dependency Court, which serves San Jos. 

A recent third-party evaluation of accomplishments shows the beneficial 
effects of just one year of BEST funding. Connections with caring adults 
grew, as BEST program staff indicated that their customers developed caring 
relationships with an average of 3.9 new adults due to their BEST services. 
On the customer satisfaction front, child and youth customers gave BEST 
services an overall positive customer satisfaction rating of 85 percent in 2004-
05 and 83 percent in 2005-06, while parents have given satisfaction ratings as 
high as 89 percent. 

San Jos notes that the Task Force approach could be adopted by any 
community in which the participants are committed to common goals, 
communication, coordination, and cooperation. Further, San Jos 
recommends keeping youth safety as the overarching goal in order to work 
through differences. 

Contact: 
Esther G. Mota, Community Services Supervisor 
City of San Jos 
Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services 
645 Wool Creek Drive, Suite 97 
San Jos, CA 95112 
(408) 277-2741 
esther.mota@sanjoseca.gov 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 42

Leadership Keys

l Used a two-tier structure to set policy and follow through on 
implementation. 

The creation of both a Policy Team composed of top municipal, 
law enforcement, and community leaders and a Technical Team 
charged with translating vision into concrete actions has given 
the Gang Prevention Task Force great strength and versatility. 
This structure enables San Jos to address important implemen-
tation challenges without losing sight of larger policy goals and 
objectives. 

l Adjusted funding priorities in response to changing needs.
 
The Task Forces periodic review process and community needs 
assessment has helped the city adapt to new challenges (e.g., the 
perceived need for a greater focus on intervention). The thorough 
monitoring of BEST grantees performance also maximizes the 
citys investment in Task Force efforts.
  
l Provided consistent, high-profile leadership. 
Active participation by the mayor, police chief, school 
superintendents, prominent judges, the city manager, and other 
top leaders have made Task Force initiatives a high priority. City, 
county, and community partners are all held accountable for 
helping San Jos retain its reputation for being a safe city. 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 43

MoreCityExamples

This section highlights ten additional cities in which a 
specific problem motivated municipal and law 
enforcement officials to establish new partnerships that 
promote the safety and well-being of children and youth. 

Page 44 Blank page

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 45

Chula Vista, California (pop. 210,497)  Bullying Prevention 

Out of a strong desire to put prevention first, the Police Department 
in suburban Chula Vista has worked with the elementary school 
district and city family resource centers as a lead U.S. implementer 
of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. The Olweus program, which 
was launched in Chula Vista in 2003, caught the citys eye because studies in 
Norway, where it took shape, showed that it reduced bullying behavior by 
50 percent through a combination of community involvement and clear 
rules. The citys interest in bullying also stems from noticing just how often 
violence, truancy, and adult crimes involve those with a history or current 
involvement in bullying  and that the impact on victims of bullying can 
be severe. 

Implementation of the Olweus approach began with surveys of students, 
teachers, and parents in English and Spanish at three pilot elementary 
schools. Police Department school resource officers then joined teachers, 
principals, and parents on bullying prevention committees for each school, 
received training from a national expert, prepared implementation plans, and 
conducted parent meetings. The plans emphasized reducing the opportunity 
for students to bully, behavioral expectations, and consequences. Early 
results analyzed through the Police Departments in-house data collection 
capacity have been promising in pilot school sites. Fewer students reported 
being chronically bullied or participating in bullying. Parents saw the school-
city-police collaborative handling bullying with greater seriousness. The 
promising results have prompted additional district schools to adopt the 
bullying prevention program. 

Contact: 
Melanie Culuko, Public Safety Analyst 
Chula Vista Police Department 
315 Fourth Avenue 
Chula Vista, CA 91910 
(619) 476-2310 
mculuko@chulavistapd.org 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 46

Fort Worth, Texas (pop. 624,067)  Safe City Commission 

In pursuit of a lofty objective  becoming the safest major city in the U.S. 
 Fort Worths mayor and a host of city, county, state, and federal public 
safety officials, along with business and community leaders, came 
together to form Safe City Commission, Inc. This nonprofit organization, in 
addition to its role in fostering collaboration among public safety and crime 
prevention agencies, helps train and support community champions for 
crime prevention, safety, education, and law enforcement. In one example of 
its particular focus on the safety of children, the Commission coordinates a 
200-member collaborative anti-gang network known as Community 
Organizations for Restoration and Empowerment (CORE). 

The Commissions response to youth violence has also taken the form of 
an Imagine No Violence citywide art contest sponsored in partnership with 
the local school districts  an idea that sprang from high school students 
themselves. Building on the success of the art contest, in which more than 
20,000 students participate each year, the Commission, Fort Worth Police 
Department, and Texas Wesleyan University recently launched a new gang 
and youth violence prevention initiative for sixth, seventh, and eighth 
graders. This effort, dubbed Bright Futures, prevents gang involvement 
among youth at greatest risk of future gang membership through instruction 
and activities with gang unit police officers. Bright Futures also provides a 
thorough course in life skills, as well as academic support. 

Contact: 
Ken Shetter, Executive Director 
Safe City Commission 
200 Calhoun Street 
Fort Worth, TX 76102 
(817) 885-7774 
kshetter@safecitycommission.org 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 47

Los Angeles, California (pop. 3,844,829)  
Gang Reduction Program 

Continuing high gang participation and violence, as well as a high 
incarceration rate for young gang members, prompted the Los 
Angeles mayor, police, and two city departments to blend preven-
tion, intervention, and enforcement into a strategy that previously 
included only strong doses of enforcement. Out of this commitment, and 
with one of four special federal grants to reduce gang violence as well as 
matching city funds directed by the mayor, the Gang Reduction Program 
(GRP) took shape.
 
Key GRP partners include the police department, city attorneys office, 
school district, district attorney, other enforcement agencies, juvenile proba-
tion, Homeboy Industries, community- and faith-based organizations, and 
the Department of Homeland Security and Public Safety (for administra-
tion). The three objectives of the initiative are to help keep kids out of gangs, 
stem deeper involvement among those already in gangs, and help keep gang 
members who are returning from juvenile corrections from rejoining gangs. 
Notably, work begins with community assessment at the neighborhood level 
 whats working, whats not, and what citizens want based on focus 
groups. 

Examples of GRP efforts include prenatal and infancy support for first-
time mothers living in gang-involved environments, mentoring for young 
males without positive male role models within the home, afterschool and 
recreational programs, early college awareness and literacy programs for 
fourth- and fifth-grade students and their parents, case management for 
middle school youth, and gang awareness training for community members, 
schools, and parents.
 
Youth ages 14 to 22 who are actively involved in a gang and want to leave 
the gang receive the opportunity to enroll in vocational education, commu-
nity college, or high school completion programs, and have access to services 
such as tattoo removal, legal assistance, job training and placement, 
substance abuse/alcohol treatment, and anger management classes. An 
example of an approach other cities could borrow from GRP is the Referral 
Ticket. This form, filled out in triplicate by police officers, juvenile proba-

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 48

tion officers, and school personnel, goes to the young person, his or her 
parents, and GRP. GRP is then able to follow up and offer services. 

Contact: 
Mildred Martinez, Coordinator 
Gang Reduction Program 
Mayors Office of Homeland Security and Public Safety 
200 North Spring Street, Room 303 
Los Angeles, CA 90012 
(213) 978-0686Mildred.Martinez@LAcity.org

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 

Los Gatos, California (pop. 28,029)  Youth Party Guidelines 

As an outgrowth of a community conversation spurred by the death of 
a teenager leaving a party where alcohol was served, the Los 
Gatos/Monte Sereno Police Department instituted a new way of 
responding to party complaints. The suburban citys 2005 Youth Party 
Guidelines constitute what might be called a mutual obligation pact between 
police, parents, and young people. Under the guidelines, police react to 
reports of loud or unlawful parties in a measured way  with a phone call 
first and an officers visit later. In turn, parents or others are expected to 
notify police in advance of concerns about possible unlawful activities at 
youth parties. 

Los Gatos approach rests on a backbone of community policing and on 
active participation by the schools, businesses, community groups, and city 
leaders in addition to parents and students. The city established a Party 
Notification Line phone number which any parent, young person, or other 
community member may call in advance. If a complaint comes in, the police 
dispatcher contacts the person responsible for the party. Notably, the guide-
lines also call for the police to coordinate actively with numerous other stake-
holders, including schools, neighboring communities police and sheriff 
departments, and the state alcoholic beverage control department. 

Contact: 
Sergeant Randy Rimple 
Los Gatos/Monte Sereno Police Department 
110 East Main Street 
Los Gatos, CA 95031 
(408) 354-6843 
rrimple@losgatosca.gov 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 50

Mount Vernon, New York (pop. 67,924)  
Gang Resistance Education And Training 

In response to a series of violent events that occurred during a brief 
period, the City of Mount Vernon wanted to take action with a collabora-
tive and systematic approach. Leadership came from the mayor, working 
with the Mount Vernon Community That Cares Coalition, which consists of 
representatives of the city, police department, schools, youth bureau, social 
service agencies, parents, and youth. The city and coalition decided to imple-
ment an anti-gang, anti-violence initiative to reduce risk factors, using 
funding available through a federal Drug-Free Communities grant. 

The coalition chose to implement the widely used Gang Resistance 
Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.) curriculum, which was developed 
through a combined effort of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, 
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Phoenix Police Department in 
1991. Police officers are the instructors for this school-based curriculum, 
the primary objective of which is prevention. Curriculum components are 
available for use in four settings: middle and elementary schools, summer 
programs, and family training sessions. One of the ways G.R.E.A.T. 
responds to Mount Vernons original concern is that it emphasizes using 
means other than violence to solve problems. The reach of the program 
continues to expand through creative strategies such as a Youth Day in 
which children who participate in the G.R.E.A.T. program share the posi-
tive aspects of the program with peers and parents who have not yet been 
exposed to the curriculum. 

Contact: 
Daniella Jackson, Research & Grants Administrator 
City of Mount Vernon 
One Roosevelt Square 
Mount Vernon, NY 10550 
914-699-7230 x132 
djackson@cmvny.com 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 51

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (pop. 1,463,281)  
Youth Violence Reduction Partnership 

Philadelphias response to continuing high youth violence in certain 
parts of the city was to initiate the Youth Violence Reduction 
Partnership (YVRP). YVRP focuses on young people ages 12 to 24 who 
are most at risk of killing or being killed. These youth receive a combination 
of intensive surveillance and supportive services in an effort to deter their 
involvement in violent activities.
 
Leadership for YVRP comes from the District Attorneys Office (which 
chairs the Steering Committee) and the citys Cabinet-level Managing 
Directors Office (which coordinates the ongoing activities of the partner 
agencies). Active participants include a broad group of agencies: the police, 
adult and juvenile probation departments, a private agency that provides 
streetworkers who assist in providing positive supports to the youth in the 
program, family court, the local human services department (which provides 
support services to both the youth and their families), the school district, the 
housing authority, and a second private agency that provides data collection, 
program monitoring, and evaluation. Such broad collaboration has enabled 
YVRP to knit together comprehensive, coordinated services which young 
people experience as a combination of home visits, case management, and 
assistance in finding jobs and educational opportunities. 

How does YVRP work? Youth identified through past involvement in, or 
proximity to, violence become youth partners of YVRP. Youth partners 
receive frequent home visits from probation officers, police, and 
streetworkers. Positive supports (such as help getting jobs) are provided by 
the streetworkers from a private, community-based agency. The probation 
officer acts as the case manager as teams of streetworkers, probation offi-
cers, and police work together to provide supports and improve 
surveillance and intelligence. 

YVRP is currently in five of the citys 25 police districts and is planning to 
expand as funds become available. Researchers have tracked progress from 
the earliest days, and have shown that continued progress has been made in 
reducing the rate of homicides in the districts in which YVRP operates, 
compared to other non-YVRP police districts and the city as a whole. 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 52

Contact: 
Denise Clayton, Coordinator 
Youth Violence Reduction Partnership 
1401 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Room 10-003 
(215) 686-4595Philadelphia,PA 19102 
denise.clayton@phila.gov

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 53

Providence, Rhode Island (pop. 176,862)  
Providence Reentry Steering Committee 

Given the disproportionate impact of crime on certain neighborhoods, 
and the number of incarcerated individuals from those 
neighborhoods, Providences mayor and police chief designed a pris-
oner reentry program in early 2006. The initiative as currently envisioned will 
include youth returning from juvenile facilities. 

Program success depends on wraparound services, cooperation among 
city and community entities, and a shift in how police see and carry out their 
work. The Providence Reentry Steering Committee  made up of represen-
tatives from the mayors office, mental health, social services, substance abuse, 
housing, community and faith-based entities, and the police  recommends 
policy, monitors the work, and assesses results. Each of the nine police 
districts has established a mini-steering committee that mirrors the citywide 
committee. 

The Providence initiative is one of several interrelated and coordinated 
efforts to address reentry issues across the state. There is interest in the 
Governors Office, the State Department of Corrections, and among General 
Assembly leadership to address prisoner reentry. For example, in 2006, advo-
cates were successful in getting voter approval for a state constitutional 
amendment that restores the right to vote for ex-offenders. 

Contact: 
Garry Bliss, Director of Policy 
City of Providence 
25 Dorrance Street 
Providence, RI 02903 
(401) 421-7740 
gbliss@providenceri.com 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 54

Sheboygan, Wisconsin (pop. 48,872)  Neighbors Against Drugs 

Faced with a crack cocaine epidemic that hit later than in many other 
places, Sheboygan adopted a civil response strategy known as Neighbors 
Against Drugs (NAD) to empower residents to stop drug dealing in their 
immediate neighborhood. In this strategy, a police officer trains residents and 
landlords to spot and bring community pressure against drug dealers, and also 
stands ready to use civil procedures to hold property owners responsible for 
failing to abate the nuisance. Residents post Neighbors Against Drugs signs 
at all but the suspected house on a block. The police and residents use the 
media to create a stir. Residents hold victory parties after dealers are evicted, 
move out, or otherwise stop dealing. 

Neighbors Against Drugs grew out of a five-month planning effort involving 
community volunteers, city and business leaders, and a community police officer. 
The first 27 months of NAD resulted in victories in 22 neighborhoods, and the 
elimination of 62 drug houses. In one neighborhood, which had 11 suspected 
drug houses within four city blocks, Neighbors Against Drugs has helped reduce 
calls for police service by 36 percent, burglaries by 93 percent, theft by 92 percent, 
and vehicle theft by 100 percent. Through the process, neighborhood building 
occurs where connections may previously have been weak. 

Detailed surveys show higher levels of civic interaction, which have 
contributed to healthier neighborhoods and lower crime. Residents surveyed also 
expressed a greater perception of safety and willingness to call the police or talk 
to their neighbors. Based on this model, Sheboygan has implemented three addi-
tional, similar programs  Students Against Drugs, Employers Against Drugs, 
and Bars Against Drugs  that focus on creating a healthier community and 
getting help to those who need it. 

Contact: 
Officer Todd Priebe 
Sheboygan Police Department 
828 Center Avenue 
Sheboygan, WI 53081-4499 
(920) 459-3341 
tpriebe@ci.sheboygan.wi.us 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 55

Tupelo, Mississippi (pop. 35,673)  Police Athletic League 

Faced with a rising incidence of gang violence and delinquency, the 
Tupelo Police Department worked with other city leaders and agencies 
to develop its first Police Athletic League (PAL) facility  thus joining 
the ranks of many other cities and towns using PALs as a crime prevention 
and youth development strategy. The city and department, with the support 
of the county judge, applied to the state for start-up funds. The mayor, city 
council president, and soon the entire council signed on as early backers of 
the initiative. One councilwoman now even runs a summer art camp for 
participants. Earlier, this high level of support paved the way for the city to 
administer the start-up grant and endorse a lease for space to be converted 
and equipped as a PAL center. 

The new center relies mostly on male police officers, who serve as 
mentors and positive role models for at-risk young men whose fathers are 
absent from the home. Programs offer organized sports, recreation, and 
education, ranging from boxing to computer skills training. Notably, 
Tupelos Youth Court will provide referrals to PAL  a type of alternative 
disposition of cases eagerly sought by the court. Private-sector partners 
include 25 businesspeople serving on an advisory board with an eye 
toward sustaining the program, and property managers of the citys most 
troubled rental property areas. 

Contact: 
Sergeant Michael Russell, Executive Director 
Tupelo Police Athletic League 
419 Robert E. Lee Drive 
Tupelo, MS 38801 
(662) 840-2535 
michaelarussell@gmail.com 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 56

Worcester, Massachusetts (pop. 175,898)  
Youth Mentoring Program 

Worcester illustrates what a mid-sized city can do to adapt youth 
violence reduction approaches from larger cities. Specifically, the 
mayor and police chief brainstormed and then led a drive to bring 
the most relevant aspects of Bostons Ten Point Coalition, a group of local 
clergy that united to work with the city and police department to combat 
youth violence, to their city. The result was the Youth Mentoring Program 
(YMP). Key community partners to which the mayor and police chief 
reached out included the local black clergy and an interfaith group. A top 
priority was to establish a sense of trust and communication between the 
clergy and law enforcement officials. With that sense of trust in place, the 
program could develop as a way of connecting young people with caring 
adults drawn from faith-based organizations.
 
The mayor and police chief also outlined clear, achievable goals for YMP. 
These goals included reducing violence, restricting the availability of guns, 
and reaching the maximum number of youth in the city  those deemed at 
risk of involvement in violence, and others as well. The city also sought to 
engage the business community. For instance, the city has asked businesses to 
provide food to serve during mentoring sessions, or other items to use as 
rewards for youth participation. The mayor used his publicity power by 
speaking at the program kickoff, and continues to check in on progress. 

Contact: 
Gary J. Gemme, Chief of Police 
Worcester Police Department 
9-11 Lincoln Square 
Worcester, MA 01608 
(508) 868-8111 
GemmeG@ci.worcester.ma.us 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 57

Resources

Page 58 Blank Page

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 59

Partners on this Report 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) 
U.S. Department of Justice 
1100 Vermont Avenue, N.W. 
Washington, DC 20530 
(202) 307-1480 or (800) 421-6770 
www.cops.usdoj.gov 

The COPS Office was created as a result of the Violent Crime Control and Law 
Enforcement Act of 1994. As a component of the Justice Department, the mission 
of the COPS Office is to advance community policing in jurisdictions of all sizes 
across the country. Community policing represents a shift from more traditional 
law enforcement in that it focuses on prevention of crime and the fear of crime on 
a very local basis. COPS provides grants to tribal, state, and local law enforcement 
agencies to hire and train community policing professionals, acquire and deploy 
cutting-edge crime-fighting technologies, and develop and test innovative policing 
strategies. COPS-funded training helps advance community policing at all levels of 
law enforcement  from line officers to law enforcement executives  as well as 
others in the criminal justice field. Because community policing is by definition 
inclusive, COPS training also reaches state and local government leaders and the 
citizens they serve. This broad range of programs helps COPS offer agencies 
support in virtually every aspect of law enforcement, and it is making America 
safer, one neighborhood at a time. 

International Association of Chiefs of Police 
515 North Washington Street 
Alexandria, VA 22314 
(703) 836-6767 (p) 
(703) 836-4543 (f) 
www.theiacp.org 

IACP is the worlds oldest and largest nonprofit membership organization of 
police executives. Through peer networking, publications, training, and advocacy 
for its members, IACP promotes ethical behavior, appreciation of diversity, 
community partnerships, technology use, research on youth and violent crime, 
and community safety programs. 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 60

Further Resources 

American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) 
P.O. Box 11910 
Lexington, KY 40578 
(859) 244-8203 (p) 
(859) 244-8001 (f) 
www.appa-net.org 

APPA provides training and technical assistance, an information clearinghouse, 
and advocacy in the field of community-based corrections. APPA offers technical 
assistance to help develop and advance youth courts, as well as national and regional 
training for community corrections professionals. Publication topic areas include: 
community partnerships for restorative juvenile justice, probation and parole reform, 
and intensive supervision strategies for drug-involved offenders. 

Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence 
1225 Eye Street, N.W.
Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 289-7319 (p)
(202) 408-1815 (f)
www.bradycenter.org

As the largest national, nonpartisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to 
prevent gun violence, the Brady Center is dedicating to creating an America free from 
gun violence. The Brady Centers Law Enforcement Relations (LER) Department 
works closely with law enforcement throughout the country, implementing programs 
to reduce gun violence in schools and communities, and providing research and 
education programs for law enforcement officers and parents. 

Center for Community Safety (CCS) 
500 West Fourth Street 
Suite 102 
Winston-Salem, NC 27102 
(336) 750-3470 (p) 
(336) 750-3480 (f) 
www.centerforcommunitysafety.org 

CCS is a community-based center of Winston-Salem State University that helps 
shape the way local communities respond to violence impacting residents, by spear-

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 61

heading the use of new approaches and drawing on new partnerships to address 
public safety issues in the Winston-Salem community. Developed through the 
Department of Justice Strategic Approaches to Community Safety Initiative, CCS 
plays a key role in national initiatives like Project Safe Neighborhoods and the Urban 
Institutes Reentry Mapping Network, and also manages the Weed and Seed initiative 
for Winston-Salem. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control 
4770 Buford Highway NE 
Atlanta, GA 30341 
(800) 232-4636 
www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/yvprevention.htm 

This web site on youth violence prevention strategies links to fact sheets, 
resources, and organizations that can be helpful in planning youth violence preven-
tion and education programs, including: the National Youth Violence Prevention 
Resource Center; the CDCs best practices sourcebook and school health guidelines; 
the Surgeon Generals report on youth violence; and a compendium of assessment 
tools for youth violence. 

Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV) 
1877 Broadway 
Suite 601 
Boulder, CO 80302 
(303) 492-1032 (p) 
(303) 443-3297 (f) 
www.colorado.edu/cspv 

CSPV provides informed assistance to groups committed to understanding and 
preventing violence, particularly adolescent violence, through a searchable virtual 
Information House stocked with research and resources, as well as technical 
assistance and data analysis for violence prevention programs. In Blueprints for 
Violence Prevention, CSPV identifies 11 effective violence prevention programs as 
models. CSVPs Safe Communities ~ Safe Schools Model enables educators, law 
enforcement, civic leaders, and community members to collaborate to design 
custom safe school plans. 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 62

Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) 
440 First Street, N.W.
Third Floor
Washington, DC 20001-2085
(202) 638-2952 (p)
(202) 638-4004 (f)
www.cwla.org

CWLA is the nations oldest and largest membership-based child welfare associa-
tion, helping neighborhoods, communities, organizations, and governments work 
together to ensure that all children have the opportunity to grow up healthy and 
strong. CWLAs Juvenile Justice Division promotes juvenile justice system reform and 
community-based intervention and treatment alternatives, offering research, advo-
cacy, training, and technical assistance programs. 

Federal Youth Court Program 
c/o National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges 
P.O. Box 8970
Reno, NV 89507
(775) 784-6012 (p)
(775) 784-6628 (f)
www.youthcourt.net

As part of the Federal Youth Court Program, the National Council of Juvenile and 
Family Court Judges serves as a central point of contact for youth court programs 
across the nation, provides informational services, delivers training and technical 
assistance, and develops resource materials on how to develop and enhance youth 
court programs in the United States. 

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids 
1212 New York Avenue 
Suite 300 
Washington, DC 20005 
(202) 776-0027 (p) 
(202) 776-0110 (f) 
www.fightcrime.org 

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids is a national, bipartisan, nonprofit anti-crime organi-
zation of more than 3,000 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors, other law enforcement 
leaders, and violence survivors. Fight Crime produces research on what keeps kids 
from becoming criminals, and puts that information in the hands of policymakers 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 63

and the public. Reports include Caught in the Crossfire: Arresting Gang Violence by 
Investing in Kids, and Bullying Prevention is Crime Prevention. 

Institute for Community Peace (ICP) 
1522 K Street, N.W.
Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 393-7731 (p)
(202) 393-4148 (f)
www.instituteforcommunitypeace.org

ICP promotes a safe, healthy, and peaceful nation by mobilizing community 
resources and leadership to support strategies that emphasize civic empowerment. 
ICP partners with communities and facilitates their movement toward commu-
nity peace and away from inaction over social problems through capacity-
building technical assistance projects and trainings for community practitioners 
and policymakers. 

National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) 
1951 Woodlane Drive 
St. Paul, MN 55125 
(888) 316-2776 (p) 
(651) 457-5665 (f) 
www.nasro.org 

NASRO is an organization for school based law enforcement officers, school 
administrators, and school security/safety professionals working as partners to protect 
students, school faculty and staff, and the schools they attend. 

National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) 
1970 Broadway 
Suite 500 
Oakland, CA 94612 
(510) 208-0500 (p) 
(510) 208-0511 (f) 
www.nccd-crc.org 

NCCD promotes effective, humane, fair, and economically sound solutions to 
family, community, and justice problems. Through research, reform initiatives, and 
work with individuals, public and private organizations, and the media, NCCD works 
to prevent and reduce crime and delinquency. Reforming Juvenile Justice Through 

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Comprehensive Community Planning is NCCDs implementation guide for a strategy 
that blends a strong prevention component with a system of graduated sanctions. 

National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) 
1000 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
13th Floor
Washington, DC 20036-5325
(202) 466-6272 (p)
(202) 296-1356 (f)
www.ncpc.org

NCPC enables people to create safer and more caring communities by 
addressing the causes of crime and violence and reducing the opportunities for 
crime to occur. NCPCs tools for community crime prevention include publica-
tions, teaching materials, community and school programs, trainings at the 
national, regional, and local levels, and public service announcements. NCPC has 
launched Prevention Works, a national blog featuring the latest news and ideas in 
crime prevention, and opportunities for discussion, available at: 
http://ncpc.typepad.com/prevention_works_blog/. 

National Sheriffs Association (NSA) 
1450 Duke Street 
Alexandria, VA 22314-3490 
(703) 836-7827 (p) 
(703) 683-6541 (f) 
www.sheriffs.org 

NSA is dedicated to raising the level of professionalism among those in the crim-
inal justice field through professional development trainings, conferences, publica-
tions, advocacy, and an awards and scholarships program. 

National School Safety Center (NSSC) 
141 Duesenberg Drive 
Suite 11 
Westlake Village, CA 91362 
(805) 373-9977 (p) 
(805) 373-9277 (f) 
www.schoolsafety.us 

NSSC serves as an advocate for safe, secure, and peaceful schools worldwide 
and as a catalyst for the prevention of school crime and violence, by helping 

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH 
Page 65

schools incorporate safety in their total academic plan. NSSC provides educators, 
law enforcers, and other youth-serving professionals with on-site technical 
assistance, school safety keynote addresses, training in safe schools planning, 
expert witness and trial consultation, and school safety research, best practices, 
and trends. 

National Youth Gang Center (NYGC) 
Institute for Intergovernmental Research 
P.O. Box 12729 
Tallahassee, FL 32317 
(850) 385-0600 (p) 
(850) 386-5356 (f) 
www.iir.com/nygc 

NYGC is a component of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 
Preventions coordinated, comprehensive response to growing gang problems in 
large and small cities, small suburbs, and even rural areas over the last two 
decades. NYGC assesses the scope and characteristics of youth gang activity in the 
United States, develops resources and makes them available to the field, and 
provides training and technical assistance in support of community-based preven-
tion, intervention, and suppression efforts, including a large set of publications 
available on NYGCs web site. 

National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center 
P.O. Box 10809
Rockville, MD 20849-0809
(866) 723-3968 (p)
(888) 503-3952 (TTY)
(301) 562-1001 (f)
www.safeyouth.org

Developed as a gateway for law enforcement, educators, community organizers, 
parents, and youth, the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center 
provides current information developed by federal agencies or with federal 
support, including the latest tools to facilitate discussion with children, to resolve 
conflicts nonviolently, to stop bullying, to prevent teen suicide, and to end violence 
committed by and against young people. Resources include fact sheets, best prac-
tices documents, funding and conference announcements, statistics, research 
bulletins, and surveillance reports. 

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Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) 
U.S. Department of Justice 
810 Seventh Street, NW 
Eighth Floor 
Washington, DC 20531 
To order publications: (800) 851-3420/ TTY (877) 712-9279 
For training or technical assistance information: (866) 682-8822 
www.ovc.gov 

OVC oversees diverse programs that benefit victims of crime, providing funding to 
state victim assistance and compensation programs, and supporting trainings that educate 
criminal justice and allied professionals about the rights and needs of crime victims. 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)  
Truancy Prevention 
U.S. Department of Justice 
810 Seventh Street, N.W. 
Washington, DC 20531 
(202) 307-5911 
www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/truancy 

OJJDP, in partnership with the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, has devel-
oped a web site to collect and disseminate truancy-related information and resources. 
The sites resources focus on preventing truancy through partnerships among educa-
tors, law enforcement, courts, communities, and families. 

Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) 
1120 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Suite 930
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 466-7820 (p)
(202) 466-7826 (f)
www.policeforum.org

PERF is a national membership organization of progressive police executives from 
the largest city, county, and state law enforcement agencies. PERF works to improve 
policing and advance professionalism through research and involvement in public 
policy debate. PERFs Training and Technical Assistance Division provides commu-
nity policing training and technical assistance to law enforcement agencies and 
communities, and has developed a self-assessment tool for law enforcement agencies 
to gauge their level of community policing implementation. 

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Prevention Institute UNITY Project 
265 29th Street
Oakland, CA 94611
Contact Lissette Flores at (510) 444-7738 ext. 324 (p)
(510) 663-1280 (f)
www.preventioninstitute.org/UNITY.html

UNITY (Urban Networks to Increase Thriving Youth Through Violence 
Prevention), a CDC funded partnership between the Prevention Institute and public 
health/injury prevention researchers from Harvard and UCLA, aims to engage youth 
and representatives of the 45 largest cities, along with national violence prevention 
advocates and leaders, in a National Consortium to shape the U.S. strategy for urban 
youth violence prevention. UNITY provides tools, training, and technical assistance to 
help cities be more effective in preventing youth violence. 

PRIDE Youth Programs 
4 West Oak Street
Fremont, MI 49412
(231) 924-1662 (p)
(231) 924-5663 (f)
www.prideyouthprograms.org

PRIDE is the nations oldest and largest peer-to-peer organization devoted to 
prevention of drug abuse and violence through education. PRIDE hosts the worlds 
largest youth drug and violence prevention conference each year, bringing together 
local, national, and international organizations. PRIDE Youth Teams reach students 
and communities through schools, civic organizations, and drug task forces, using 
creative outlets like song and dance to emphasize community service, drug education, 
and drug-free activities. 

Street Law, Inc. 
101 Wayne Avenue 
Suite 870 
Silver Spring, MD 20910 
(301) 589-1130 (p) 
(301) 589-1131 (f) 
www.streetlaw.org 

Street Law creates youth programs and curricula to increase the effective teaching 
of law, democracy, and human rights through practical, participatory education. 
Street Law promotes the knowledge of legal rights and responsibilities and engage-

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICAS CHILDREN AND YOUTH
PAGE 68
 
ment in the democratic process, as well as cooperative learning and critical thinking. 
Street Law for school resource officers is a curriculum that develops positive interac-
tion between students and school resource officers, through group discussions and 
hands-on activities exploring the roles and responsibilities of both police officers and 
members of the community. 

Teens, Crime, and the Community (TCC) 
1000 Connecticut Avenue, NW 
13th Floor 
Washington, DC 20036-5325 
(202) 261-4161 (p) 
(202) 296-1356 (f) 
www.nationaltcc.org 

TCC helps teens understand how crime affects them and their families, friends, 
and communities, and involves them in crime prevention projects that make commu-
nities safer and more vital. The comprehensive Community Works curriculum guides 
schools, police officers, and other community partners in creating law-related 
violence and crime prevention programming. Through Youth Safety Corps, a club 
model, youth partner with school resource officers and other community adults to 
assess needs and implement programs that address physical and social safety issues in 
their schools and communities. 

Youth Crime Watch of America (YCWA) 
9200 South Dadeland Boulevard 
Suite 417 
Miami, FL 33156 
(305) 670-2409 (p) 
(305) 670-3805 (f) 
www.ycwa.org 

YCWA brings youth of all backgrounds together to identify and correct problems 
unique to their schools and communities, teaching and encouraging crime reporting, 
school patrols, youth-youth mentoring, conflict resolution, and other crime preven-
tion strategies. Youth take ownership for their own programs in schools, neighbor-
hoods, public housing sites, recreation centers, or parks. 

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pAGE 69

About This Report

Under a cooperative agreement by the U.S. Department of Justice Office 
of Community Oriented Policing Services, NLCs Institute for Youth, 
Education, and Families (YEF Institute) began an effort in the fall of 2005 
to identify and highlight partnerships between mayors and law enforcement 
leaders that promote the safety and well-being of children and youth. 

Drawing upon the advice and support of the International Association 
of Chiefs of Police and a new NLC Advisory Group on Mayor-Law 
Enforcement Partnerships, the YEF Institute initially reviewed more than 30 
city initiatives addressing issues such as youth violence, bullying, 
delinquency prevention, and substance abuse. Phone interviews with city 
and police officials conducted during the first half of 2006, supplemented in 
many instances by written descriptions submitted by these local leaders, 
provided the basis for detailed profiles of each city-based effort. The advi-
sory group met in November 2005 to help frame the projects research 
design and reconvened in June 2006 to review and cull key lessons from the 
city summaries prepared by YEF Institute staff. 

The criteria that guided final selection of city examples for the report 
included evidence of strong mayor-law enforcement collaboration, impact, 
and sustainability over time. The resulting profiles of mayor-law enforce-
ment partnerships reflect the diversity of Americas cities and towns, drawn 
from nearly every region of the nation and from communities both large 
and small. The report provides an in-depth look at innovative strategies 
utilized in seven cities: Boston, Massachusetts; Burnsville, Minnesota; El 
Paso, Texas; New Brighton, Minnesota; New Haven, Connecticut; Sallisaw, 
Oklahoma; and San Jos, California. Profiles from 10 other communities 
offer additional insights into possible approaches to collaboration between 
police departments and other city agencies. 

This project was supported by cooperative agreement #2005HSWXK013 
by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of 
Justice. The opinions contained herein are those of the authors and do not 
necessarily represent the official position of the U.S. Department of Justice. 
References to specific companies, products, or services should not be 
considered an endorsement of the product by the author or the U.S. 
Department of Justice. Rather, the references are illustrations to supplement 
discussion of the issues. 

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Page 70 Blank Page

Back Cover

Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (plus logo)

National League of Cities (plus logo)
1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004-1763
(202) 626-3000
www.nlc.org

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) (plus logo)
1100 Vermont Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20530(800) 421-6770
0www.cops.usdoj.gov