Common Ground: Crime, Common Ground: Crime, Race, and CommunityRace, and Community

The Third SIPR Annual ConferenceThe Third SIPR Annual Conference

Communities and Policing:Communities and Policing:evidence and innovation in Scotlandevidence and innovation in Scotland

Sept. 1st, 2009Sept. 1st, 2009

David M. KennedyDavid M. KennedyDirectorDirector

Center for Crime Prevention and ControlCenter for Crime Prevention and ControlJohn Jay College of Criminal JusticeJohn Jay College of Criminal Justice

dakennedy@jjay.cuny.edu212 484-1323212 484-1323

CIRV – Network Analysis of CIRV – Network Analysis of Street SetsStreet Sets

Red – Red – BeefBeef

Green – Green – AllianceAlliance

Blue – VolatileBlue – Volatile

GROUPS IN CINCINNATI GROUPS IN CINCINNATI HOMICIDESHOMICIDES

OVERALL: WHAT WE’VE OVERALL: WHAT WE’VE LEARNED AND WHERE WE LEARNED AND WHERE WE

AREARE These strategies workThese strategies work

Chicago: 37% reduction in homicideChicago: 37% reduction in homicide Boston: 50% reduction overall; 66% Boston: 50% reduction overall; 66%

reduction in youth homicidereduction in youth homicide Many more: ~ 40% reductions now typicalMany more: ~ 40% reductions now typical

Direct engagement: moral voice of the Direct engagement: moral voice of the community, help, consequencescommunity, help, consequences

Hard work to establish and maintainHard work to establish and maintain A work in progressA work in progress

OFFENDER IDEAS MATTER OFFENDER IDEAS MATTER THE MOSTTHE MOST

~80 percent of violence, usually, not about business: beefs, boy/girl, respect

We’re really dealing with the street code Disrespect requires violence We’re not afraid of death or prison We handle our own business We’ve got each other’s back We’re justified in what we do

Group dynamic, not about individuals: “pluralistic ignorance”

COMMUNITY RACIAL COMMUNITY RACIAL NARRATIVESNARRATIVES

• Unpopularity of even legitimate actions Unpopularity of even legitimate actions

• Real illegality and abuseReal illegality and abuse• Community narrative: conspiracy and Community narrative: conspiracy and

deliberate oppression, the latest in a deliberate oppression, the latest in a long historylong history

• Community anger, suspicion, and Community anger, suspicion, and silence misunderstood by law silence misunderstood by law enforcement and offenders as tolerance enforcement and offenders as tolerance for crime and violencefor crime and violence

ADDRESS KEY NORMS ADDRESS KEY NORMS AND NARRATIVESAND NARRATIVES

In order for law enforcement and In order for law enforcement and community to truly work together, mutual community to truly work together, mutual and toxic misunderstandings need to be and toxic misunderstandings need to be explicitly addressedexplicitly addressed Police are not solving problem, are Police are not solving problem, are

doing harm, are playing into racial doing harm, are playing into racial stereotypesstereotypes

Community is not taking responsibility, Community is not taking responsibility, is not setting standards, is playing into is not setting standards, is playing into racial stereotypesracial stereotypes

THE MORAL VOICE OF THE THE MORAL VOICE OF THE COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY

Clear, direct, community standClear, direct, community stand Most important step possibleMost important step possible Respected local figuresRespected local figures

ParentsParents Ministers, mothers, activistsMinisters, mothers, activists

““Do you want your mother standing here?”Do you want your mother standing here?” ““We need you, you’re better than this.”We need you, you’re better than this.”

Offenders and ex-offendersOffenders and ex-offenders ““Shot any CIA agents lately?”Shot any CIA agents lately?” ““Who helped your mother last time you were Who helped your mother last time you were

locked up?”locked up?” ““Who thinks it’s OK for little kids to get shot?”Who thinks it’s OK for little kids to get shot?” Challenge the street codeChallenge the street code

IDENTIFY IDENTIFY “INFLUENTIALS”“INFLUENTIALS”

Who does the offender respect who Who does the offender respect who will stand with us?will stand with us? FamilyFamily Loved onesLoved ones Community figuresCommunity figures MinistersMinisters OGsOGs

CONSEQUENCESCONSEQUENCES Group accountability for homicide: Group accountability for homicide:

group dynamic, group sanctiongroup dynamic, group sanction Last resortLast resort Explained ahead of timeExplained ahead of time By any legal means: “pulling levers”By any legal means: “pulling levers” Most serious sanctions on impact playersMost serious sanctions on impact players

Careful promise: sanction on next Careful promise: sanction on next homicide; on most violent grouphomicide; on most violent group

Reversal of pro-violence peer Reversal of pro-violence peer pressurepressure

““Honorable exit”Honorable exit”

HELP IS A MORAL AND HELP IS A MORAL AND PRACTICAL OBLIGATIONPRACTICAL OBLIGATION

Everyone who wants it deserves itEveryone who wants it deserves it Some will take itSome will take it Changes moral narrativesChanges moral narratives Has to be honestHas to be honest

We will do everything we canWe will do everything we can Limited resources and effectiveness Limited resources and effectiveness

don’t change the core fact that the don’t change the core fact that the violence is completely unacceptableviolence is completely unacceptable Teny Gross: “We don’t negotiate life”Teny Gross: “We don’t negotiate life”

SET UP FACE-TO-FACE SET UP FACE-TO-FACE MEETINGMEETING

““Call in” via probation and paroleCall in” via probation and parole Home visitsHome visits Community meetingsCommunity meetings

FACE-TO-FACE FACE-TO-FACE INTERVENTIONINTERVENTION

Strong unified message from everybody: this has Strong unified message from everybody: this has to stop. to stop.

Community message in presence of “influentials”: Community message in presence of “influentials”: the community needs this to stopthe community needs this to stop Set and reinforce clear community standardsSet and reinforce clear community standards Community much tougher than law Community much tougher than law

enforcementenforcement Help is available: social services, nonprofits, Help is available: social services, nonprofits,

churches, volunteerschurches, volunteers Law enforcement: if necessary, formal Law enforcement: if necessary, formal

consequences certainconsequences certain

CORE THEMES IN CORE THEMES IN MESSAGEMESSAGE

It has to stop. End of story. It’s wrong, it It has to stop. End of story. It’s wrong, it hurts, you’re better than this, you don’t like it, hurts, you’re better than this, you don’t like it, we don’t want to live like this any morewe don’t want to live like this any more

Your community and loved ones need it to stopYour community and loved ones need it to stop You are hugely important and valuableYou are hugely important and valuable The ideas of the street code are wrongThe ideas of the street code are wrong We will do everything we can to help youWe will do everything we can to help you We will stop you if you make usWe will stop you if you make us None of us like how we have been living; we None of us like how we have been living; we

all want to changeall want to change

COMMON GROUNDCOMMON GROUND Everyone wants the community to be safeEveryone wants the community to be safe Everyone wants the most dangerous Everyone wants the most dangerous

offenders controlled offenders controlled Everyone wants the chaos to stop (including Everyone wants the chaos to stop (including

many offenders)many offenders) Everyone wants profligate enforcement to Everyone wants profligate enforcement to

stopstop Everyone wants those who want help to get itEveryone wants those who want help to get it Everyone’s miserable now and can change Everyone’s miserable now and can change

togethertogether

MOREMORE

National Network for Safe National Network for Safe CommunitiesCommunities

30+ cities doing this work30+ cities doing this work ““Leadership Group”: Los Angeles, Leadership Group”: Los Angeles,

Boston, Milwaukee, Providence, Boston, Milwaukee, Providence, Cincinnati, High Point, Long BeachCincinnati, High Point, Long Beach

Full implementation and Full implementation and institutionalizationinstitutionalization

www.nnscommunities.orgwww.nnscommunities.org