PREVENTING VIOLENT STREET CRIME IN STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA A Report to the Stockton Police Department By Anthony A. Braga, Ph.D. Harvard University July 7, 2006 Agenda Item 4.02

DR. ANTHONY BRAGA’S OBJECTIVES EXAMINE NATURE OF VIOLENT STREET CRIME EXAMINE NATURE OF VIOLENT STREET CRIME REVIEW VIOLENCE PREVENTION ACTIVITIES OF THE STOCKTON POLICE DEPARTMENT REVIEW VIOLENCE PREVENTION ACTIVITIES OF THE STOCKTON POLICE DEPARTMENT MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON IMPROVING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT’S RESPONSE TO VIOLENT STREET-CRIME PROBLEMS MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON IMPROVING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT’S RESPONSE TO VIOLENT STREET-CRIME PROBLEMS

PART-ONE CRIMES COMBINING HOMICIDES, ROBBERIES, AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS, AND RAPES, STOCKTON IS NUMBER ONE; HOWEVER, STOCKTON IS ONLY NUMBER ONE IN AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS COMBINING HOMICIDES, ROBBERIES, AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS, AND RAPES, STOCKTON IS NUMBER ONE; HOWEVER, STOCKTON IS ONLY NUMBER ONE IN AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS

HOMICIDES 2004 AND % OF HOMICIDES WERE GANG RELATED 29% OF HOMICIDES WERE GANG RELATED 22% OF HOMICIDES WERE CONFLICTS BETWEEN GANG MEMBERS 22% OF HOMICIDES WERE CONFLICTS BETWEEN GANG MEMBERS 6.5% OF HOMICIDES WERE RELATED TO GANG-INVOLVED DRUG MOTIVES 6.5% OF HOMICIDES WERE RELATED TO GANG-INVOLVED DRUG MOTIVES 42 OF 50 GUN-RELATED HOMICIDES WERE GANG RELATED 42 OF 50 GUN-RELATED HOMICIDES WERE GANG RELATED 33% OF ARRESTS FOR GUN ASSAULTS WERE GANG MEMBERS 33% OF ARRESTS FOR GUN ASSAULTS WERE GANG MEMBERS 13% OF ROBBERY ARRESTS WERE GANG MEMBERS 13% OF ROBBERY ARRESTS WERE GANG MEMBERS “GANGS ARE CENTRAL TO STOCKTON’S STREET VIOLENCE PROBLEMS.” “GANGS ARE CENTRAL TO STOCKTON’S STREET VIOLENCE PROBLEMS.”

“HOT REPORTING DISTRICTS” 5% OF “ALL REPORTING DISTRICTS” ACCOUNT FOR: 17% OF TOTAL VIOLENT CRIME 17% OF TOTAL VIOLENT CRIME 20% OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS 20% OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS 22% OF ROBBERIES 22% OF ROBBERIES

PREVENTING VIOLENT CRIME POVERTY POVERTY RAPID POPULATION GROWTH RAPID POPULATION GROWTH DRUG ABUSE DRUG ABUSE OVERCROWDED JAIL OVERCROWDED JAIL LIMITED FINANCIAL RESOURCES TEST THE ABILITY OF THE POLICE TO RESPOND TO CRIME LIMITED FINANCIAL RESOURCES TEST THE ABILITY OF THE POLICE TO RESPOND TO CRIME

ADDITIONAL POLICE STAFFING NEEDED “CRIME CAN BE AFFECTED BY THE NUMBER OF POLICE AND WHAT POLICE DO.” “CRIME CAN BE AFFECTED BY THE NUMBER OF POLICE AND WHAT POLICE DO.” “POLICE DEPARTMENTS NEED TO BE ADEQUATELY STAFFED AND TO ENGAGE INNOVATIVE CRIME PREVENTION STRATEGIES FOCUSED ON IDENTIFIABLE RISKS, SUCH AS HIGH-RATE OFFENDERS, REPEAT VICTIMS, AND CRIME HOT SPOTS.” “POLICE DEPARTMENTS NEED TO BE ADEQUATELY STAFFED AND TO ENGAGE INNOVATIVE CRIME PREVENTION STRATEGIES FOCUSED ON IDENTIFIABLE RISKS, SUCH AS HIGH-RATE OFFENDERS, REPEAT VICTIMS, AND CRIME HOT SPOTS.”

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. STOCKTON SHOULD HAVE A RATIO OF 1.9 OFFICERS PER 1,000 POPULATION, SIMILAR TO OAKLAND (1.91), LONG BEACH (1.9), SACRAMENTO (1.75), AND FRESNO (1.67)

RECOMMENDATIONS (Continued) 2. APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO MAINTAIN “HOT SPOTS” POLICING PROGRAM AT ITS ORIGINAL LEVELS

RECOMMENDATIONS (Continued) 3. CONTINUE “HOT REPORTING DISTRICT” POLICING WITH INCREASED PRESENCE AND COMMUNITY PROBLEM- ORIENTED POLICING

RECOMMENDATIONS (Continued) 4. EXPAND THE GANG VIOLENCE SUPPRESSION UNIT (G.V.S.U.):  G.V.S.U. SHOULD MORE CLOSELY ADHERE TO AN APPROACH THAT COMBINES ENFORCEMENT, PREVENTION, AND INTERVENTION  NEED TO INCREASE COLLECTING AND ANALYZING INTELLIGENCE AND CRIME DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS (Continued) 5. REINVIGORATE OPERATION PEACEKEEPER 6. HIRE ADDITIONAL GANG OUTREACH WORKERS

DR. BRAGA’S OPINION “THE GENERAL VIOLENCE- PREVENTION APPROACH OF THE STOCKTON POLICE DEPARTMENT IS SOUND.”

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY POLICE DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT HAVE MET TO BEGIN IDENTIFYING IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES, WITH CURRENT STAFFING LEVELS POLICE DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT HAVE MET TO BEGIN IDENTIFYING IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES, WITH CURRENT STAFFING LEVELS GANG UNIT HAS DISCUSSED POSSIBLE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES FOR TARGETING VIOLENT GANG MEMBERS IN STOCKTON, WITH EXISTING STAFFING GANG UNIT HAS DISCUSSED POSSIBLE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES FOR TARGETING VIOLENT GANG MEMBERS IN STOCKTON, WITH EXISTING STAFFING A COMPLETE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL AT A FUTURE MEETING A COMPLETE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL AT A FUTURE MEETING

PREVENTING VIOLENT STREET CRIME IN STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA A Report to the Stockton Police Department By Anthony A. Braga, Ph.D. Harvard University July 7, 2006