Conference Presentation, Panel, Fireside Chat
The Hot Zone Approach to Battling Gang Violence
Milken InstituteConnie Rice, Rev. Jeff Carr, Malcolm Klein, Charlie Beck, Ray Bercini, Father Gregory Boyle, Brian Center, Mike Clouden, Richard Sandler, Father Greg Boyle, Deputy Chief Charles Beck, Detective Ray Bersini, Deputy Mayor Jeff Carr
- The Milken Institute global conference is scheduled for April 27th or 29th with a registration deadline of April 10th, featuring a special lower registration rate for non-profit employees and online event details for those unable to attend in person; DVD rights for the forum will be released at a later date.
- The city plans to expand the Summer Nights program from eight to 15 sites in the upcoming summer, matching the $1.3 million public sector allocation with $1.3 million raised from the private sector.
- Funding allocation will shift from the previous method of dividing by 15 council districts to a needs-based, transparent performance process, with a commitment to cut funds from entities failing to meet standards within two years.
- The city faces a fiscal deficit of $500 million for the 2009-2010 fiscal year, having started at $289 million the previous fall, with expectations that economic stimulus funds will require backfilling with general tax dollars in 18 months.
- Future program effectiveness relies on independent evaluation data, as Dr. Klein notes that conventional assumptions regarding risk factors like poverty or low self-esteem do not accurately predict gang involvement and that funding for evaluations will precede further discussion of specific programs.
- Concerns exist that current approaches may reinvent past work or fail to sustain momentum, potentially causing gang-related homicides to rise, while fear is considered only a short-term tool compared to hope as a means of behavior change.
- Political will is viewed as a critical variable; without sufficient action to raise $40 million and address extreme unemployment and poverty, optimism regarding gang reduction may be short-lived, though data proving strategy effectiveness could increase public support and tax investment.
- Long-term success is predicted to depend on a cultural shift where communities no longer tolerate lethal violence, the engagement of ex-gang members to break mistrust, and continued collaboration among committed individuals, while Detective Bersini warns that continued drug war dynamics could allow Mexican-style violence to cross U.S. borders.