Pittsburgh targets youth crime

[WhiteFeather]

Imagine this, they are really going to get serious about enforcing the laws for a change what a novel approach…….
Tell the criminals if you do the crime expect to do the time.


http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08263/913455-100.stm

Pittsburgh targets youth crime

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and City Councilman Ricky Burgess outlined a new approach to fighting crime today, modeled on an effort that pushed violence down dramatically in Boston a decade ago and has been used in numerous cities since.

Dubbed the Pittsburgh Initiative to Reduce Crime, the push is to be guided by Professor David Kennedy, of the City University of New York. He was a key strategist behind Boston's Operation Ceasefire when he was on Harvard University's staff.

Today he portrayed his strategy in simple terms: Identify the worst criminal groups responsible for more than half of the violence, tell them that violence won't be tolerated and that there are other options and then follow through.

There will be sit-down meetings with key criminal "gangs, drug crews, sets, posses," said Mr. Kennedy. Police officials, ex-offenders and other community elders will be key emissaries. The message: "Our promise to you is, after we have this meeting, the first group that kills somebody, pack your toothbrush, because we're rolling you all up," he said. "You punish the entire group ... They start policing themselves."

To work, the approach requires coordination between all law enforcement agencies, researchers who can identify patterns in crime data, and social services like employment and drug counseling.

"The heavy lifting is putting that partnership together," said Mr. Kennedy. There will be a formal plan crafted that should be available to the public, he said.

Mr. Ravenstahl said the effort should start having an impact on the streets within six months. Community organizing starts with a series of meetings today.

"For me, reducing gun violence is not about politics," said Mr. Burgess, who campaigned last year on a pledge to bring the Boston approach here. "My mother-in-law was shot and killed ... The mayor and I want a future for Pittsburgh that is free from fear and full of hope."

Mr. Onorato pledged to take the approach countywide so criminals know they "can't just jump over and avoid this program we're putting together today."

In Boston, some of the keys were collaboration between city, county and federal law enforcement on hard-hitting responses to gang violence and on suppressing the illegal gun trade. Police were assigned to small areas so they could get to know the people better. Parole officers worked with police to get the word out that the city was serious, and to punish entire gangs for flare-ups.

The results, according to the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's studies, included a 71 percent decrease in homicides by people under 25 years old, and an overall 70 percent drop in gun assaults.

Mr. Kennedy has worked with San Francisco, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Baltimore and other cities.

"If it is done with reasonable goodwill and if it is kept in place, you will get these too-good-to-be-true results," he said.

Mr. Ravenstahl has pledged $160,000 in city funds and Mr. Burgess $40,000 in council funds toward the costs of retaining Mr. Kennedy and the University of Pittsburgh's School of Social Work, which will participate in the research component.

[adymond]

Glad they seem to be getting serious. I just have a few things I see as problems.

1. Where are we going to house all of the new residents when we begin to "roll up the whole group?"

2. If they are having meetings with these various groups of criminals why the hell aren't they locking them up? I mean do you really negotiate with criminals and give them another warning? "Okay guys, here's the deal. I know we have laws and you know you have broken them, but this is your LAST warning. If we catch any of your crew doing anything else we will lock you all up." WTF is that.

3. How do you prosecute an entire gang/crew/group for a crime if only some of them can be proven to have committed said crime?

[walther]

Glad they seem to be getting serious. I just have a few things I see as problems.

1. Where are we going to house all of the new residents when we begin to "roll up the whole group?"

2. If they are having meetings with these various groups of criminals why the hell aren't they locking them up? I mean do you really negotiate with criminals and give them another warning? "Okay guys, here's the deal. I know we have laws and you know you have broken them, but this is your LAST warning. If we catch any of your crew doing anything else we will lock you all up." WTF is that.

3. How do you prosecute an entire gang/crew/group for a crime if only some of them can be proven to have committed said crime?

These are all very good questions, I have a few to add:

4. How do they determine someone to be an active member of said 'crew'? Or do they just arrest everyone who has anything to do with them? (the women, brothers of members, friends of members but who are not 'gangstas', etc.)

5. What officially determines a 'gang, posse or drug crew'? If I kill someone do they go round up my close friends even though we're not a 'gang'? If a Veteran of Foreign Wars kills someone do the round up all the vets in the area?

6. Where is the line drawn for arresting members? Some gangs have thousands of members, they'd need several jails just for a few of the major gangs.

[jud4420]

Unfortunately the police often know who is behind certain criminal actions however they lack the proof to real in these criminals. I think this approach they are talking about if member of a certain gang or crew shoots someone, they are coming down with fire and brimstone on the whole crew. Believe it or not it works. Well. These guys want to get back to business, usually they'll give up anyone of their guys in order to get the heat off.

[Falcon118]

Not that fighting crime is a bad idea, however am I the only one seeing the members of a "gang" that are arrested for just being "around" when something happens, prosecuting the police for false arrest? Please tell me if I'm wrong here.

[original gunner]

It seems like the plan is to actually start looking at the correlations that occur when you look at large numbers of crimes occurring over a period of time. See who is involved in routine murders and other violent crimes in groups, other than just the shooter and victim.

This may deter crime and promote what the program intends, getting communities and people to police themselves effectively. It may also mean what Falcon118 mentioned.

Sounds neat though, hope it reduces crime for Pittsburgh.

[adymond]

Unfortunately the police often know who is behind certain criminal actions however they lack the proof to real in these criminals. I think this approach they are talking about if member of a certain gang or crew shoots someone, they are coming down with fire and brimstone on the whole crew. Believe it or not it works. Well. These guys want to get back to business, usually they'll give up anyone of their guys in order to get the heat off.

That right there is my problem. I think our criminal justice system is broken, but there is no way the prosecution can convict a group of people when they can not even convict the ones individually responsible for the crime. The plan would require change in our justice system to be effective IMO.

Not that fighting crime is a bad idea, however am I the only one seeing the members of a "gang" that are arrested for just being "around" when something happens, prosecuting the police for false arrest? Please tell me if I'm wrong here.

That's my concern too. These scumbags are involved, but not directly. They are arrested and the ACLU comes in and helps the family hit the legal lottery.