1. Common Ground: Crime, Race, and Community The Third SIPR Annual Conference Communities and Policing: evidence and innovation in Scotland Sept. 1st, 2009 David M. Kennedy Director Center for Crime Prevention and Control John Jay College of Criminal Justice dakennedy@jjay.cuny.edu 212 484-1323

2. CIRV – Network Analysis of Street Sets Red – Beef Green – Alliance Blue – Volatile

3. GROUPS IN CINCINNATI HOMICIDES

5. OVERALL: WHAT WE’VE LEARNED AND WHERE WE ARE These strategies work These strategies work Chicago: 37% reduction in homicide Chicago: 37% reduction in homicide Boston: 50% reduction overall; 66% reduction in youth homicide Boston: 50% reduction overall; 66% reduction in youth homicide Many more: ~ 40% reductions now typical Many more: ~ 40% reductions now typical Direct engagement: moral voice of the community, help, consequences Direct engagement: moral voice of the community, help, consequences Hard work to establish and maintain Hard work to establish and maintain A work in progress A work in progress

6. OFFENDER IDEAS MATTER THE 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”

7. COMMUNITY RACIAL NARRATIVES Unpopularity of even legitimate actions Unpopularity of even legitimate actions Real illegality and abuse Real illegality and abuse Community narrative: conspiracy and deliberate oppression, the latest in a long history Community narrative: conspiracy and deliberate oppression, the latest in a long history Community anger, suspicion, and silence misunderstood by law enforcement and offenders as tolerance for crime and violence Community anger, suspicion, and silence misunderstood by law enforcement and offenders as tolerance for crime and violence

8. ADDRESS KEY NORMS AND NARRATIVES In order for law enforcement and community to truly work together, mutual and toxic misunderstandings need to be explicitly addressed In order for law enforcement and community to truly work together, mutual and toxic misunderstandings need to be explicitly addressed Police are not solving problem, are doing harm, are playing into racial stereotypes Police are not solving problem, are doing harm, are playing into racial stereotypes Community is not taking responsibility, is not setting standards, is playing into racial stereotypes Community is not taking responsibility, is not setting standards, is playing into racial stereotypes

9. THE MORAL VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY Clear, direct, community stand Clear, direct, community stand Most important step possible Most important step possible Respected local figures Respected local figures Parents Parents Ministers, mothers, activists Ministers, 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-offenders Offenders and ex-offenders “Shot any CIA agents lately?” “Shot any CIA agents lately?” “Who helped your mother last time you were locked up?” “Who helped your mother last time you were 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 code Challenge the street code

10. IDENTIFY “INFLUENTIALS” Who does the offender respect who will stand with us? Who does the offender respect who will stand with us? Family Family Loved ones Loved ones Community figures Community figures Ministers Ministers OGs OGs

11. CONSEQUENCES Group accountability for homicide: group dynamic, group sanction Group accountability for homicide: group dynamic, group sanction Last resort Last resort Explained ahead of time Explained ahead of time By any legal means: “pulling levers” By any legal means: “pulling levers” Most serious sanctions on impact players Most serious sanctions on impact players Careful promise: sanction on next homicide; on most violent group Careful promise: sanction on next homicide; on most violent group Reversal of pro-violence peer pressure Reversal of pro-violence peer pressure “ Honorable exit” “ Honorable exit”

12. HELP IS A MORAL AND PRACTICAL OBLIGATION Everyone who wants it deserves it Everyone who wants it deserves it Some will take it Some will take it Changes moral narratives Changes moral narratives Has to be honest Has to be honest We will do everything we can We will do everything we can Limited resources and effectiveness don’t change the core fact that the violence is completely unacceptable Limited resources and effectiveness don’t change the core fact that the violence is completely unacceptable Teny Gross: “We don’t negotiate life” Teny Gross: “We don’t negotiate life”

13. SET UP FACE-TO-FACE MEETING “Call in” via probation and parole “Call in” via probation and parole Home visits Home visits Community meetings Community meetings

14. FACE-TO-FACE INTERVENTION Strong unified message from everybody: this has to stop. Strong unified message from everybody: this has to stop. Community message in presence of “influentials”: the community needs this to stop Community message in presence of “influentials”: the community needs this to stop Set and reinforce clear community standards Set and reinforce clear community standards Community much tougher than law enforcement Community much tougher than law enforcement Help is available: social services, nonprofits, churches, volunteers Help is available: social services, nonprofits, churches, volunteers Law enforcement: if necessary, formal consequences certain Law enforcement: if necessary, formal consequences certain

15. CORE THEMES IN MESSAGE It has to stop. End of story. It’s wrong, it hurts, you’re better than this, you don’t like it, we don’t want to live like this any more It has to stop. End of story. It’s wrong, it hurts, you’re better than this, you don’t like it, we don’t want to live like this any more Your community and loved ones need it to stop Your community and loved ones need it to stop You are hugely important and valuable You are hugely important and valuable The ideas of the street code are wrong The ideas of the street code are wrong We will do everything we can to help you We will do everything we can to help you We will stop you if you make us We will stop you if you make us None of us like how we have been living; we all want to change None of us like how we have been living; we all want to change

18. COMMON GROUND Everyone wants the community to be safe Everyone wants the community to be safe Everyone wants the most dangerous offenders controlled Everyone wants the most dangerous offenders controlled Everyone wants the chaos to stop (including many offenders) Everyone wants the chaos to stop (including many offenders) Everyone wants profligate enforcement to stop Everyone wants profligate enforcement to stop Everyone wants those who want help to get it Everyone wants those who want help to get it Everyone’s miserable now and can change together Everyone’s miserable now and can change together

19. MORE National Network for Safe Communities National Network for Safe Communities 30+ cities doing this work 30+ cities doing this work “Leadership Group”: Los Angeles, Boston, Milwaukee, Providence, Cincinnati, High Point, Long Beach “Leadership Group”: Los Angeles, Boston, Milwaukee, Providence, Cincinnati, High Point, Long Beach Full implementation and institutionalization Full implementation and institutionalization www.nnscommunities.org www.nnscommunities.org