STEPHANIE RAPP: After observing
National Gang Violence Prevention Week,
I want to take a few minutes to highlight
the many anti-gang efforts supported by the Office
of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention, or as we call it, OJJDP.
Youth gangs are a threat
to public safety across the United States.
In urban, suburban,
and rural areas gang violence is frequent and fatal.
We must come together
to end the violence and stop the crime.
I saw this firsthand while running a gang
and violence prevention and intervention program
in Baltimore for nine years.
Now I have the distinct honor of working at OJJDP
and serving practitioners throughout the country.
In fiscal year 2018, OJJDP allocated
eight million dollars for anti-gang efforts.
Funding supports law enforcement and
community efforts to suppress gang activity.
In fiscal year 2019, OJJDP expanded this gang portfolio
to include a program to
address the needs of victims of gang violence.
OJJDP also
provides practical tools for professionals.
The National Gang Center, jointly funded
by OJJDP and the Bureau of Justice Assistance,
is a vital resource that offers
training, technical assistance, and tools
to help professionals establish and
enhance community-based anti-gang initiatives.
Our comprehensive gang
model is an evidence-based framework
for preventing
and reducing youth gang violence at the local level;
any community can use it, and it works.
Built on 20 years of testing and implementation
the model has shown
positive results in reducing serious gang-related crimes.
Communities across the country
are achieving encouraging results
using the comprehensive gang model.
One example is the restoring the
Village Youth Initiative in Fort Pierce, Florida.
Following a series of deadly shootings
residents and community
leaders started a grassroots anti-violence initiative.
In the three years
that the program has been in operation,
it has reported a downward trend in
youth reoffending and gun related offenses.
During my years in the field, I
saw the power of a well-run gang prevention program.
In fact, quality programs can replace the
role that gangs play in young people's lives
by providing a sense of belonging
and a positive pro-social peer group.
These groups give young
people the opportunity to build real friendships
and practice healthy behaviors.
These programs not only help ensure
youth are held appropriately accountable
to both crime victims and communities,
but they also help foster a sense of
personal accountability in young people,
encouraging them to see the impact
of their choices and to make better ones.
OJJDP remains committed
to helping communities fight gangs
as we all strive to build a nation where
our children are free from crime and violence.
