Building Our Way Out of Crime: Community Development and its Role in Crime Reduction October 21, 2005 16th Annual Problem-Oriented Policing Conference Charlotte, North.

Transcript Building Our Way Out of Crime: Community Development and its Role in Crime Reduction October 21, 2005 16th Annual Problem-Oriented Policing Conference Charlotte, North.

Building Our Way Out of Crime:

Community Development and its Role in Crime Reduction October 21, 2005 16th Annual Problem-Oriented Policing Conference Charlotte, North Carolina

Agenda

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Exploring the link between public safety and community development Evidence of success from community-police alliances Community developers: who they are, how they work Terms of engagement Closer look at a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department experience Questions

Link between public safety and community development Blight & other Community Decline Revitalization & other Community Development ↔ Crime ↔ Public Safety

Link between public safety and community development “[R]esearch underscores the importance of activities that fall under the broad umbrella of ‘community building.’ …. [T]he message for social policy is clear: Building strong communities ‘from the ground up’… will contribute to the reduction in violence and fear, and will create a sense of safety.” - Jeremy Travis (2004)

Source: “Building from the Ground Up: Strategies for Creating Safe and Just Communities,” in Journal of Social Thought: “Religion & Spirituality in Social Work” (2004)

Limits of many efforts to eradicate crime hot spots Board up bad building without replacing it

Creating productive institutional alliances Police Department Full-time paid Coordinator Technical Assistance Providers (LISC) Community Developers

What have been the outcomes of community developer-police alliances?

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Elimination of persistent hot spots Significant drops in crime Brick-and-mortar development, including high quality affordable housing and attractive retail space New businesses and jobs Greater resident engagement, “eyes on the street,” social capital, and collective efficacy

Replacing nuisance properties: Revitalization of Payne Avenue in St. Paul Notorious strip club redeveloped into a restaurant and community meeting space

Crime reduction: Graffiti Free Zone in South Los Angeles

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Gang activity targeted by LAPD, Neighborhood Prosecutor and a CDC Resulted in the removal of 150,000 square feet of graffiti and a 50% drop in new graffiti tags LAPD recognized the program as a major contributor to a 16% drop in gang crime

Crime reduction: Revitalization of Payne Avenue in St. Paul

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Police anti-crime efforts combined with CDC development contributed to a 26% drop in Part 1 crime reports and a 25% drop in Quality of Life Calls for Service (QLC) on Payne Ave.

Changes in the target area were much better than those in comparable neighborhoods 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 -26% -25% -2% +10% -23% -8% +11% +24% 0 Payne Ave Rice Street Concord/Robert TARGET AREA COMPARISON AREAS Snelling Ave 1998 Pt 1 2001 Pt 1 1998 QLC 2001 QLC

Real Estate Development: Transformation of Blue Parkway in Kansas City, MO

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CDC cleans up an area that is hazardous to residents due to illegal dumping and stray animals to clear the way for development of a major retail center

Kansas City’s Blue Parkway (continued)

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Police help secure tenants for a 160,000 square foot commercial center on the site Center includes a police substation and workout facility

Real Estate Development: Community Safety Center in Minneapolis

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American Indian Neighborhood Development Corp. develops a commercial plaza, including a police substation, in a spot where open air drug sales previously deterred merchants

New business development: Redevelopment of Columbia Plaza in Seattle

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Commercial area transformed from a violent crime hotspot to a thriving multi-cultural business center Part I crime declined 18% in the target area compared to 8% citywide

New Business Development: Uphams Corner Revitalization in Dorchester, MA

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CDC purchases and renovates properties in a blighted, crime ridden commercial intersection New businesses open with help from CDC loan funds

Before After

Job Creation & Violent Crime Reduction: “Blackberry Jungle” to Pacific Rim Plaza in Seattle

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Dangerous transient camp…

Next to Blackberry Jungle “Blackberry Jungle”

Job Creation & Violent Crime Reduction: “Blackberry Jungle” to Pacific Rim Plaza in Seattle … replaced by a multi-million dollar commercial and residential property that created 100 new jobs

New development in place of “Blackberry Jungle”

Job Creation: Swope Parkway Redevelopment in Kansas City, MO

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H&R Block Service & Technology Center developed, with help of police captain, on a site formerly known for illegal dumping and criminal activity Created 300 jobs and brought a $14.2 million payroll to an underserved minority community

What is a community development corporation?

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Non-profit corporation governed by local residents Mission: To revitalize a specific neighborhood or geographic area (usually low-income) Comprehensive agenda includes: - Residential and commercial real estate development - Social services, such as job training and placement or youth programs - Community organizing

What are community development intermediaries?

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Major national intermediaries:

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Purpose: To help local community developers transform troubled neighborhoods by mobilizing corporate, government and philanthropic support for neighborhood revitalization

What is the role for national intermediaries?

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Make loans, grants and equity investments to advance community development goals Promote supportive policies at the local, state and national level Provide technical and management assistance to CDCs In 2004, LISC activities included… $110 million in loans for CDC projects $584 million in equity invested $30 million in grants to CDCs

What are CDC assets and what do they mean for you?

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Access to capital markets Bricks and mortar development Property management Job creation and job training/placement Social services or partnerships with service providers

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Youth programs Advocacy and political action Community and merchant organizing

Terms of engagement

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Collaboration in planning and problem-solving Information sharing Power sharing Resource sharing Non-traditional roles

The Grier Heights Neighborhood Action Team

FULL TIME TEAM APPROACH IMPLEMENTED IN LATE 1999.

PILOT PROGRAMS OPERATED THROUGHOUT 2000.

“Enter into interactive collaborative partnerships…”

Action Teams consist of:

•SPONSOR •FACILITATOR •COMMUNITY RESIDENTS •COMMUNITY POLICE OFFICER(S) •COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT INSPECTOR •HOUSING INSPECTOR •NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES SPECIALIST

“Interactive collaborative partnerships…” TEAM MEMBERS ATTENDED 32 HOURS OF LEADERSHIP AND TEAM BUILDING TRAINING AT PFEIFFER UNIVERSITY IN DECEMBER 1999. MISSION STATEMENT AND VISION STATEMENT WERE WRITTEN.

CITY EMPLOYEES MOVED TO OFFICE SPACE AT THE CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT’S BAKER SERVICE CENTER. ALL CITY EMPLOYEES WORK FROM SAME BUILDING, INCREASING OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT AND COMMUNICATE.

“IDENTIFY COMMUNITY PROBLEMS…”

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“Identify community problems…”

OPEN COMMUNITY MEETING FOR “VISIONING” SESSION. THE RESIDENTS SAID WHAT THEY WANTED TO SEE FOR THEIR COMMUNITY.

TEAM MEMBERS SPOKE AT MONTHLY COMMUNITY MEETINGS.

TEAM MEMBERS MET WITH PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION.

TEAM MEMBERS MET WITH NEIGHBORHOOD LANDLORDS.

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“Establish priorities…”

MUST CARRY OVER UNFINISHED ITEMS FROM PREVIOUS PLAN.

TOOK COMMUNITY SUGGESTIONS FROM “VISIONING” SESSION AND ADDED TEAM MEMBER SUGGESTED ITEMS.

ITEMS WERE CATEGORIZED AND PRIORITIZED.

EVALUATED ITEMS: SOME WERE ADDED, OTHERS DELETED DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS, PRACTICALITY, ETC.

“Integrated approach to the delivery of needed services…”

ACTION PLAN AREAS OF FOCUS: •CRIME AND PUBLIC SAFETY •THE HOUSING STOCK •COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT •EDUCATION AND TRAINING •STRENGTHENING THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION •YOUTH AND CHILD PROGRAMS •ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT •INFRASTRUCTURE •TRANSPORTATION