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AMENDMENT TO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH CALIFORNIA PARTNERSHIP FOR SAFE COMMUNITIES
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended, in association with the Marshall Plan Project for Public Safety, that the City Council approve a motion authorizing the City Manager to execute an Amendment to Professional Services Agreement with the California Partnership for Safe Communities in the amount of $175,000; in order to continue support for the implementation of the Operation Ceasefire program, the goal of which is to reduce the number of firearms and gun violence in Stockton.
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Summary
The California Partnership for Safe Communities (CPSC) has provided professional and technical services to the City of Stockton since 2012. During this time, CPSC has assisted in the development of a tailored and unique strategic framework to implement Operation Ceasefire in Stockton in an effort to reduce the number of firearms, as well as reduce gun violence. Operation Ceasefire is a critical outcome of the Marshall Plan Stakeholder Committee, and the project has demonstrated success in reducing violent crime levels in the community. The scope of the CPSC agreement was expanded to include development of the Office of Violence Prevention during the last two years. The original Agreement was set to expire this fall of 2015. While significant progress has been made related to Operation Ceasefire and the Office of Violence Prevention, the need for technical assistance and consultation remains for the priority work of institutionalizing Ceasefire and continuing the establishment of the Office of Violence Prevention. This need recognizes the significant effort for this work required over the last three years as well as the continued need to develop additional strategies to further sustain the progress made thus far. Staff is recommending a renewal of the existing Agreement to provide additional professional services and technical support for Operation Ceasefire at a cost of $175,000, through September 30, 2016. This agreement has an extension option for two, one-year periods at an additional $175,000 per extension. If all extension options are exercised, the agreement with CPSC, would total $993,750 over a six-year period, from 2012 through 2018.
DISCUSSION
Background
Operation Ceasefire is a violence intervention model patterned after a program instituted in Boston, and which has now been implemented across the country in cities such as Boston, Chicago, and Cincinnati. It is widely considered a best practice for violence intervention through multiple evaluations. Although results vary by city, in each instance there has been a significant reduction in firearms violence and homicides; for example, 63% in Boston, 37% in Chicago, and 35% in Cincinnati. The CPSC, led by Stewart Wakeling, has extensive experience implementing successful partnership-based violence reduction efforts in a variety of cities in California, as well as throughout the United States.
One of the proposals from the Marshall Plan Stakeholder Committee collaboration was to contract with the CPSC to facilitate the implementation and institutionalization of Ceasefire in Stockton. On September 25, 2012, the City Council approved an initial one-year contract with CPSC in the amount of $175,000 for technical assistance in establishing, implementing, and sustaining a Ceasefire Model within San Joaquin County, but assuming a phased approach.
Phase I included a preliminary analysis of the local violence dynamic, an initial strategic plan rooted in that analysis, and the development of basic operational capacities within the criminal justice system (enforcement, services, and communication). In addition to these basic operational capacities, key outreach efforts such as gang/street outreach and clergy outreach were set into motion.
The core concept of Operation Ceasefire is to communicate a powerful anti-violence message to the highest risk individuals through “call-in” sessions. In these sessions, community and civic leadership deliver the message through professional facilitators that violence will not be tolerated in the community. The Ceasefire strategy also offers credible services and support, requiring the involvement of the full spectrum of the criminal justice system and community service organizations.
Phase II enabled the City to better respond to unacceptably high levels of violence through implementation of the Operation Ceasefire intervention strategy, guided by in-depth analysis, key outreach efforts, and enhanced operational capacities in the areas of enforcement, services, and communication among stakeholders. Operation Ceasefire continues to be a core component in the spectrum of prevention and intervention programs growing out of the Marshall Plan process.
Under Phase III, CPSC was tasked with assisting in the formal creation of the Office of Violence Prevention (OVP), an administrative hub designed to bring together the current Operation Peacekeeper efforts, Ceasefire, and support for mentoring and community-based violence reduction. Once completed, Phase III will accomplish the following objectives:
• Strengthen Stockton’s capacity to collect and analyze data on gun-related street violence in an effort to better identify those young people at highest risk of violence, and address the strategic challenges of reducing violence in a context of limited resources;
• Carry out strategic communications with the highest risk youth including a variety of forums and tools;
• Continue the street outreach program and enhance the ability to identify and address potential conflicts and tensions that might otherwise escalate into gun violence;
• Improve the capacity to connect low-income youth at highest risk of violence to viable employment opportunities, training, support, and other resources; and
• Further improve the police-community partnership to reduce violence.
The Office of Violence Prevention was formally created in October 2014. During the past year, the administration of Ceasefire direct communication efforts have shifted from the Police Department to the Office of Violence Prevention, Peacekeeper Outreach Workers have provided services to the most at-risk Ceasefire clients and the Office has been recruiting for and hiring additional staff through the use of Measure A funds. In addition, the Office of Violence Prevention has been developing more programs and services to offer Ceasefire clients based on their particular needs. Furthermore, the Office of Violence Prevention has strengthened existing and developed new partnerships with community based organizations in support of Operation Ceasefire and broader violence prevention efforts. Of particular note is the Office of Violence Prevention leadership role in the My Brother’s Keeper and South Stockton Promise Zone Initiatives. While Phase III of the original scope of work for CPSC is well underway, there is still a very real need for their assistance in developing data and analysis capacity in the Office of Violence Prevention, refining the Ceasefire intervention strategy and institutionalizing the capacity to connect at-risk clients with the appropriate programs and services.
Present Situation
In the current amendment, CPSC will work with the local stakeholders to support the continued development and sustainability of best practices to strengthen police-community relations. This includes a central emphasis on ultimately seeking a durable and effective partnership between affected communities and law enforcement. In addition to an effective operational partnership and community outreach, these efforts will focus on incorporating procedural justice into the practices of police and other public actors who are focused on violence reduction.
The professional and technical services provided by CPSC remain a critical source of support for both the Stockton Police Department and the Office of Violence Prevention. Operation Ceasefire activities are further along in the phased implementation and therefore will require less support than Office of Violence Prevention in this amendment as well as going forward. The need remains, however, for continued services from CPSC and therefore Staff is recommending this amendment and to include two, one-year extension options in recognition of the continued support required to maintain and further implement Operation Ceasefire, to institutionalize the approach to combatting violent crime, and to complete the establishment of the Office of Violence Prevention over the next three years. The additional extension options will be contingent upon mutual recommendation by both parties as well as approved funding during the City’s annual budget process.
Operation Ceasefire is a long term effort and therefore measuring its success can be difficult. Over the last 25 years, Stockton has averaged 43 homicides per year. There were spikes in the homicide numbers in 2011 and 2012 and a dramatic drop in 2013. It is important to note that success with operation Ceasefire cannot be measured by homicides alone, but must also include non-fatal shootings and other violent crimes. Since instituting Operation Ceasefire in 2013, Stockton has experienced a 55% reduction in homicides, a 30% reduction in robberies and a 22% reduction in violent crimes. In 2014, although homicides increased from their dramatic low in 2013, shootings continued to decrease, dropping another 10% from 2013. Over a three year period, the overall trend for violent crime continues to be lower; the same time frame in which Operation Ceasefire has been the focused strategy for addressing violent crime. In 2015, while communities across the nation are seeing double digit increases in violent crime, Stockton continues to see positive results. Stockton must maintain its focus on gang and gun crime and keep the pressure on those most likely to cause violence within our community. At the same time, we must continue to work on increasing trust, communication, and legitimacy between the community and police.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The agreement with CPSC has been amended twice since 2012, and the recommendation is to authorize a third amendment in the amount of $175,000, to be funded by both Police Investigations and Office of Violence Prevention Measure A funds, from the following account numbers, and split:
Police Investigations 010-2432-530 $ 62,000
Office of Violence Prevention 014-0138-530 $113,000
Funding for the two, one-year extensions will be dependent on additional funding approved with the City’s annual budget. If all extension options are exercised, the total six-year contracted amount will be $993,750.
Attachment A - CPSC Amendment No. 3