vital 

partners

vital 

partners

MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS 

WORKING TOGETHER FOR 

AMERICA'S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Institute for 

Youth, Education,

and Families

A project funded by the U.S. Department of Justice 

u

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and conducted 

in partnership with the International Association of Chiefs of Police

National

League 

of Cities
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 of opportunity, 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 of the 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 of strategies and tools, including:

● Action kits that offer a menu of practical steps that officials can take to

address key problems or challenges.

● Technical assistance projects in selected communities.

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

● The National Summit on Your City’s Families and other workshops, training

sessions, and cross-site meetings.

● Targeted research and periodic surveys of local officials.

● The YEF Institute's web site, audioconferences, and e-mail listservs.

To learn more about these tools and other aspects of the YEF Institute’s work,

go to www.nlc.org/iyef or leave a message on the YEF Institute’s 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 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.

The National League of Cities, the COPS Office, and the

International Association of Chiefs of Police collaborated on this project.
National

League 

of Cities

Institute for 

Youth, Education,

and Families

vital 

partners

vital 

partners

MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS 

WORKING TOGETHER FOR 

AMERICA'S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

A project funded by the U.S. Department of Justice 

u

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and conducted 

in partnership with the International Association of Chiefs of Police
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 José, California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

More City Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Additional Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

About This Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Contents

i

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
ii
NLC’s 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 city’s efforts.

Numerous NLC staff also played important roles in the research and

publication of this report. Clifford M. Johnson, the YEF Institute’s executive

director, and Leon T. Andrews, program director for youth development,

helped coordinate various aspects of the project and provided overall editorial direction and support. Jessica Sandoval and Melissa Rogers conducted

interviews with city leaders and led the early phases of NLC’s 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 additional editorial support, and Susan Gamble was responsible for the report’s

design and layout.

Special thanks to members of NLC’s Advisory Group on Mayor / 

Law Enforcement Partnerships, including:

Acknowledgements

iii

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
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, NLC’s 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 Governor’s 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 AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
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 nation’s 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:

● Find descriptions of police who balance enforcement with compassion in

how they respond to the needs of children.

● 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.

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

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
● Gain further evidence of the effectiveness of cross-system collaboration.

● 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.

Donald J. Borut Clifford M. Johnson, Executive Director

Executive Director Institute for Youth, Education, and Families

National League of Cities National League of Cities

2

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
Through effective partnerships among mayors, police chiefs, and municipal 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,

California’s launch of the Olweus bullying prevention program or Sallisaw,

Oklahoma’s adaptation of school-based substance abuse prevention strategies) 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 can’t do it alone” — that city, law enforcement, and community

leaders need each other’s 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

Executive Summary

3

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
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 Paso’s Youth Initiative Program exemplifies this

recognition. As roles blur and blend, new voices emerge to advocate for children’s safety. One Boston police lieutenant on the gang unit now says, “These

are not bad kids. They need education and jobs. Jail won’t 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 José, California, and other cities have adopted comprehensive 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 reintegrate 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 children’s 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 AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
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 highimpact outcomes to pursue. Changes in public perceptions have also proven

important in some cities — Sheboygan’s efforts have led to a drop in community fear, New Brighton’s 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 AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
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, Worcester’s Youth Mentoring Program and Tupelo’s

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 challenges 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.

6

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
7

1. Set goals for child safety and well-being in the mayor’s 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.

u

Ten Ideas for Getting Started

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Adapted from discussions of NLC’s Advisory Group on 

Mayor / Law Enforcement Partnerships, June 2006
8
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.

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
10
11

u

CITY SUMMARIES

u

Boston, Massachusetts 

(pop. 559,034)

Boston’s 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
12

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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.

Ceasefire’s 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 Ceasefire’s 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 identify 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.

Homefront’s goals combine a promise of safety with a promise of support

for the future: “To reduce violence in the Boston Public Schools and...in

neighborhoods...to ensure the safety and security of each student attending

Boston’s schools and in their neighborhoods...to provide families the

support they need to ensure their children’s success in school and life...”

(from the Boston Police Department’s description of Operation Homefront).
13

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

While outcome measures are not available, process measures — the number

of visits, school presentations, and follow-up services provided — are impressive. 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 attributed 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 community’s 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 don’t 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
14

u

Leadership Keys

● 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.

● 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.

● Implemented a highly effective community oriented policing

strategy.

Boston’s 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, delivered a credible message of support and enforcement to youth,

and targeted young people who were at greatest risk.

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
15

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 unregistered 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.

Burnsville, Minnesota

(pop. 59,159)

u

CITY SUMMARIES

u
16

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Additional support and leadership for THE GARAGE comes from three

overlapping sources:

● 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 mayor’s

confidence is why the program works...not sure I could do this job

without her support...it’s a big risk,” says Eric Billiet, manager of

THE GARAGE.

● 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 positively,” Billiet explains. “The police have become liaisons...the 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.”

● The third “leg of the stool” is the Burnsville Youth Center Foundation,

which raises funds from local businesses and agencies such as civic organizations and Chamber of Commerce members.

u

“THE GARAGE keeps me out of trouble because

the troublemakers don’t want to go there...

It’s my favorite place. People actually ‘get’ kids

and want to make an environment for them.” 

— One youth’s response to THE GARAGE, a teen recreation center in Burnsville
17

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Burnsville points to two major results from THE GARAGE and its philosophy of youth-led programming: delinquency prevention and reduction, and

positive changes in the community’s 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 improvements in their children’s behavior. “THE GARAGE has given my son a sense

of being part of the community in which we live,” reflects one Burnsville resident. 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 surveys...they 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
18

u

Leadership Keys

● 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 programming 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.

● 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.

● 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 risktaking 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.

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
19

E

l 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 thenMayor 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

u

CITY SUMMARIES

u

El Paso, Texas 

(pop. 598,590)
20

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

community. Relationships extended vertically into the community and horizontally across agencies in city government such as parks and recreation and

zoning. The mayor, city manager, and city councilors were a constant presence, speaking at events, opening programs, presenting awards, creating interand 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 Paso’s atrisk 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 support...doing whatever it takes...maybe 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
21

u

“If the homicide rate continues to go down, 

I’m going to have to get a hobby.”

— Lt. Alfred Lowe, Section Commander — 

Crimes Against Persons, El Paso Police Department

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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 “we’re 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
families: “It will die if you just focus on crime. That’s 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

everybody’s buy in.” Services had to be “across the board.”

Then there is a dimension not often recognized or practiced, namely, a

predisposition to change: “We’re flexible. Needs change. For instance, out of

14 homicides last year, six were because of domestic violence. So this year,

we’re starting a domestic violence program. I told my guys, ‘You’re on this job

now, but it will probably be only for two years. Don’t 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

22

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

u

The primary element is attitude, a belief that

“we’re in it together, helping kids, making El Paso

the safest city in the country.”
23

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

u

Leadership Keys

● Embraced a broad vision of child and family well-being. 

City leaders and police reframed El Paso’s 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 indicators 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.

● 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 city’s youth.

● Remained flexible, responding to changing circumstances

and needs.

The widespread collaboration between city leaders, law enforcement officials, and community partners has enhanced the city’s

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.
24
25

I

n 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 typically 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 couldn’t 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 Brighton’s 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 didn’t 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.”

u

CITY SUMMARIES

u

New Brighton, Minnesota 

(pop. 20,738)
26

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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 MultiHousing 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 neighborhood officer was set up in the complex. Residents were invited to drop in. The

department offered free fingerprinting, “KID Care” pamphlets to assist in identifying 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

u

“We didn’t 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
27

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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 city’s 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 newlyformed 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 evaluation conducted by the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation in 2003 found that:

● 96 percent of respondents were either satisfied or very satisfied with

police responses to calls, a jump from 90 percent in 2001.

● 91 percent were either satisfied or very satisfied with how they were

treated by the police, compared with 75 percent in 2001.

● More than 50 percent of residents

reported less or

much less graffiti and

gang activity.

● The number of people

stating that they felt

safe rose from 55

percent in 2001 to 77

percent in 2003.

● Calls to the police

dropped by a stunning 50

percent, from 1,200 in 2001

to 600 in 2003.
u

“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

28

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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; partnering 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.

Contact: 

Mayor Steve Larson

City of New Brighton

803 Old Highway 8, NW

New Brighton, MN 55112

(651) 636-4997

stevenlarson1@comcast.net
29

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

u

Leadership Keys

● 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 city’s overall community policing

strategy by opening up a funding stream to support new

problem-solving efforts.

● Improved community relations through enhanced neighborhood policing.

The Amherst H. Wilder Foundation’s evaluation results highlight

a remarkable turnaround in the relationship between apartment

complex residents and police. By establishing a more visible presence 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.

● Formed partnerships to empower residents. 

The partnerships between city leaders, the police, schools, businesses, and community groups have allowed the city to focus on

issues of neighborhood and family stability, as well as opportunities 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.
30
31

I

n 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 Haven’s 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 clinicians see the results years later. We cannot let so much time pass. Early

victims of crime often become perpetrators.” The initiative establishes a partu

CITY SUMMARIES

u

New Haven, Connecticut 

(pop. 124,791)
32

nership between the city and local university to explore community-focused

strategies. The initiative’s 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 policemental health relationship is developing an understanding of each other’s

work. “We train them in child development,” says Marans, “and clinicians

learn about policing. Rookie cops get eight hours of training in child development 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. It’s 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 Security...and, of greatest

importance, he and the city council support us during budget time. It’s not

just MOUs. The mayor’s 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 AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
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 he’s 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 afterschool programs. Demands for the Child Study Center’s 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. “It’s 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 isn’t 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 AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
34

u

Leadership Keys

● 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 Haven’s 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.

● 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.

● 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, community relations have improved and residents are more likely to turn

to police officers for help.

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
35

S

allisaw, 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 exposure 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, Sallisaw’s children. This determination 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.

u

CITY SUMMARIES

u

Sallisaw, Oklahoma 

(pop. 8,621)
36

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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 fulltime 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 fiveweek SHIELD program involves classes that take place one hour per week

for students in fifth grade, and follow an instructor’s manual and

workbooks.

As top city leaders, the mayor and police chief play active roles in the

oversight of SHIELD. The town’s 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.

u

As a supplement to ongoing law enforcement

efforts, city leaders determined to fight back

directly on behalf of, and with, 

Sallisaw’s children.
37

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

The mayor and chief of police participate together in SHIELD course

“graduations” and honors each year, along with the fire chief, city councilmembers, and school board members. The mayor’s 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 department’s reporting systems suggest that SHIELD’s lessons

have helped in reducing violence and substance abuse. The city’s 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 Governor’s Safe Schools grant. In addition, teachers, principals, 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
38

u

Leadership Keys

● Intervened at early ages to combat drug abuse. 

The SHIELD program responded to the growth of methamphetamine 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.

● 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 partnership 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.

● 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.

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
39

The broad-based Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force in San José, and

the $3 million annual Bringing Everyone’s 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 José

maintain its status as the nation’s 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 today’s “Reclaiming Our Youth.”

San José 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.

u

CITY SUMMARIES

u

San José, California 

(pop. 912,332)
40

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

The now time-tested structure in San José 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 organizations, 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 communitybased BEST grantees is substantial. Crime prevention specialists teach children 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 city’s gangprevention efforts.

Overall leadership for San José’s 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,
41

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

and Neighborhood Services and the Police Department). The mayor’s leadership 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 collaboration from his longstanding post presiding over Santa Clara County Juvenile

Dependency Court, which serves San José.

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 José 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 José

recommends “keeping youth safety as the overarching goal” in order to work

through differences.

Contact: 

Esther G. Mota, Community Services Supervisor

City of San José

Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services

645 Wool Creek Drive, Suite 97

San José, CA 95112

(408) 277-2741

esther.mota@sanjoseca.gov
42

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

u

Leadership Keys

● 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 José to address important implementation challenges without losing sight of larger policy goals and

objectives.

● Adjusted funding priorities in response to changing needs. 

The Task Force’s 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

city’s investment in Task Force efforts.

● 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 José retain its reputation for being a safe city.
43

More 

City

Examples

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.

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
44
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 city’s 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 city’s 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 Department’s 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 schoolcity-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 AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
46

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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

I

n pursuit of a lofty objective — becoming the safest major city in the U.S.

— Fort Worth’s 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 Commission’s 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
47

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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 prevention, 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 attorney’s office,

school district, district attorney, other enforcement agencies, juvenile probation, Homeboy Industries, community- and faith-based organizations, and

the Department of Homeland Security and Public Safety (for administration). 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

— what’s working, what’s not, and what citizens want based on focus

groups.

Examples of GRP efforts include prenatal and infancy support for firsttime 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, community 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-
48

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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

Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security and Public Safety

200 North Spring Street, Room 303

Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 978-0686

Mildred.Martinez@LAcity.org
49

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S 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 city’s 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 officer’s 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 guidelines also call for the police to coordinate actively with numerous other stakeholders, 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
50

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Mount Vernon, New York (pop. 67,924) — 

Gang Resistance Education And Training 

I

n response to a series of violent events that occurred during a brief

period, the City of Mount Vernon wanted to take action with a collaborative 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 implement 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 Vernon’s 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 positive 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
51

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (pop. 1,463,281) — 

Youth Violence Reduction Partnership 

P

hiladelphia’s 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 Attorney’s Office (which

chairs the Steering Committee) and the city’s Cabinet-level Managing

Director’s 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 officers, and police work together to provide supports and improve

surveillance and intelligence.

YVRP is currently in five of the city’s 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.
52

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Contact: 

Denise Clayton, Coordinator

Youth Violence Reduction Partnership

1401 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Room 10-003 

Philadelphia, PA 19102 

(215) 686-4595

denise.clayton@phila.gov
53

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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, Providence’s mayor and police chief designed a prisoner 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 representatives from the mayor’s 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

Governor’s Office, the State Department of Corrections, and among General

Assembly leadership to address prisoner reentry. For example, in 2006, advocates 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
54

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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

F

aced 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 additional, 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
55

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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

F

aced 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,

Tupelo’s 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 city’s 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
56

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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 Boston’s 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
57

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Resources
58
59

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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 world’s 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.
60

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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 Center’s 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-
61

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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

Institute’s 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 prevention and education programs, including: the National Youth Violence Prevention

Resource Center; the CDC’s best practices sourcebook and school health guidelines;

the Surgeon General’s 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. CSVP’s Safe Communities ~ Safe Schools Model enables educators, law

enforcement, civic leaders, and community members to collaborate to design

custom safe school plans.
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 nation’s oldest and largest membership-based child welfare association, helping neighborhoods, communities, organizations, and governments work

together to ensure that all children have the opportunity to grow up healthy and

strong. CWLA’s Juvenile Justice Division promotes juvenile justice system reform and

community-based intervention and treatment alternatives, offering research, advocacy, 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 organization 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 AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
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 community peace and away from inaction over social problems through capacitybuilding 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

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH
64

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Comprehensive Community Planning is NCCD’s 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. NCPC’s tools for community crime prevention include publications, 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 criminal justice field through professional development trainings, conferences, publications, 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
65

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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

Prevention’s 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 prevention, intervention, and suppression efforts, including a large set of publications

available on NYGC’s 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 practices documents, funding and conference announcements, statistics, research

bulletins, and surveillance reports.
66

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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 developed a web site to collect and disseminate truancy-related information and resources.

The site’s resources focus on preventing truancy through partnerships among educators, 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. PERF’s Training and Technical Assistance Division provides community 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.
67

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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 nation’s oldest and largest peer-to-peer organization devoted to

prevention of drug abuse and violence through education. PRIDE hosts the world’s

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-
68

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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 interaction 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 communities 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 prevention strategies. Youth take ownership for their own programs in schools, neighborhoods, public housing sites, recreation centers, or parks.
69

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

About This Report

Under a cooperative agreement by the U.S. Department of Justice Office

of Community Oriented Policing Services, NLC’s 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 advisory group met in November 2005 to help frame the project’s 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 enforcement partnerships reflect the diversity of America’s 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 José, 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.
70

VITAL PARTNERS: MAYORS AND POLICE CHIEFS WORKING TOGETHER FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

1100 Vermont Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20530

(800) 421-6770

www.cops.usdoj.gov

Institute for Youth,

Education, and Families

National League of Cities

1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20004-1763

(202) 626-3000

www.nlc.org