Violence Prevention for District 11

By John Avalos

No one should ever feel unsafe in our neighborhoods. The violence plaguing our streets can be resolved. Overall, District 11 needs greater leadership and less finger pointing. As Supervisor, I pledge to use my office to unite our neighborhoods on real violence prevention efforts based on the highest standards for community policing, youth education, arts and employment programs, improved public infrastructure and overall accountability.

No one should ever feel unsafe in our neighborhoods. The violence plaguing our streets can be resolved. Overall, District 11 needs greater leadership and less finger pointing. As Supervisor, I pledge to use my office to unite our neighborhoods on real violence prevention efforts based on the highest standards for community policing, youth education, arts and employment programs, improved public infrastructure and overall accountability. I look forward to joining with you to make our street safer. Below is my plan for violence prevention.

Strengthen Community Policing and Community Police Relations

• Use office of Supervisor to coordinate neighborhood violence prevention efforts between police and residents.

• Strengthen community policing efforts by fostering more trustful relations between the community and police.

• Set high standards for interaction between foot beat officers and neighborhood organizations, neighborhood watch programs, merchants and residents.

• Create a neighborhood community police relations plan with a public/police committee oversight on staffing levels and deployment.

• Hold annual neighborhood violence prevention summits to craft and update an overall violence prevention plan.

• Involve organizations and institutions from across the district in the summit and the formation of the plan.

• Share ways neighborhood residents can increase communication and neighborhood watch programs. The city must ensure support across ethnic divisions which all too often exist and may impede such efforts.

• Share techniques and skills for residents to recognize the signs of activities that may lead to violence.

• Provide schools with information regarding violence prevention strategies; involve school site councils in planning efforts.

• Increase greater coordination among community groups and community based organizations.

• Provide adequate levels of supervision and case management for people on probation or at risk of gang activity or involvement in the justice system.

• Provide greater access to jobs and vocational training for people on probation and at risk of involvement in the justice system.

• Provide adequate resources for probation officers and set high standards for outcomes and accountability for juvenile and adult probation officers working with people on probation.

• Increase supports for people on probation to finish education such as high school equivalency or to seek higher education.

• Strengthen restorative justice responses to graffiti and petty criminal activity that can lead to greater criminal activity including violent crime.

• Intensify street outreach efforts for youth involved in gangs and at risk of involvement in criminal and violent activity, especially around parks and teen centers.

• Coordinate street outreach efforts with police department while protecting privacy of juveniles. Provide Greater Opportunities for Youth and Young Adults in District 11

• Provide more recreational and educational opportunities for District 11 youth such as sports, after school programs and college prep programs. Ensure that girls are served as much as boys.

• Provide greater arts and musical outlets for District 11 youth. Such outlets must be known and accessed by youth across the district.

• Provide greater connection to jobs and job training for District 11 youth. Create a one stop job center to serve youth in the Ingleside and Excelsior neighborhoods.

• Provide early childhood education that can have lasting impact on academic performance. Invest in childcare facilities and center-based childcare.

• Provide conflict mediation classes in all public schools K-12.

• Involve students in neighborhood services programs from clean and beautification efforts to neighborhood outreach and tutoring younger students.

• Invite and welcome faculty and administrators' involvement in community events and services.

• Convene neighborhood school administrators in violence prevention planning efforts.

• Acknowledge that many families are struggling with parenting, many for lack of time, and provide greater access to parenting classes and family support services.

• Children and youth have great ideas for solutions to violence, involve their energy and talent in neighborhood planning and advocacy efforts.

• Support greater classroom involvement in community projects that can lead to neighborhood revitalization, safety and cleanliness.

• Set high levels of accountability for police department and community based organizations to show evidence of change in tactics and behaviors to uproot violence.

• Review annually whether police and community are reaching goals for interaction and resolution of violence.

• Improve lighting in areas receiving heavy foot traffic, Muni stops, major thoroughfares like Persia, Broad and Randolph Street and areas around parks.

• Ensure that lighting is not obstructed by foliage.

• Subsidize homeowners who wish to put up motion activated flood lights.

• Grade intersections to prevent reckless driving.