SSOC Presentation
November 28, 2023
1 Implementation of the Oakland Ceasefire
strategy was specifically demanded by
community members to address gun violence.
In direct response, the City of Oakland and its
partners began implementation of the strategy
in 2012 after years of community pressure.
2 Ceasefire Oakland
Ceasefire Oakland is a partnership-based, intelligence
led, and data-driven strategy designed to:
• Reduce Gang/Group related shootings and
homicides
• Reduce the recidivism rate amongst participants
• Improve community police relationships
3 Partnership-Based
• Scott Blake, Community Outreach/CYO
• Dr. Timothy Browder, Trauma Medical Director, AHS
(Highland Hospital)
• Annette Jointer, ACPD Division Director
• Gillian Caplan, DVP
• Anthony Cole, DPO/Alameda County Probation
• Rev. Dr. George Cummings, Ex. Dir/FIAEB
• Damita Davis-Howard, Ceasefire Oakland Director
• Barbara De Salvo, Ceasefire Oakland/Collective Healing • Billy Dixon, Jr., Pastor/ At Thy Word COGIC/FIAEB E-G • Cedrick Emerson, FIAEB
• Tonya Gilmore, Asst. CAO
• Pastor James Hopkins, Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church • Tiffini Jones, Deputy Director, CYO
• Asst. Chief Trevelyon Jones, OPD
• Gregory (Kentrell) Killens, Chief of DVP
• Barbara Lafitte-Oluwole, FIAEB
• Emilio Mena, Lead Life Coach, DVP
• Cheryl Merchant, DPO/ Alameda County Probation
• David Muhammad, Executive Director, NICJR
• Pastor Matt Prinz, First Pres. Oakland /FIAEB
• Captain Fred Shavies, Ceasefire Commander/OPD
• Pastor Michael Wallace, Co-Chair FIAEB, Mt. Zion
• Melvin Winn, , DPO/ Alameda County Probation
• Woodson Sr., Brian K., Clergy FIAEB
•
5 6
How Ceasefire
Oakland Works
Goals
Reduce:
1. Homicides &
Shootings
2) Recidivism
3.) Build Community
Trust
2. Direct
Communication
(Call-Ins, Custom
Notifications)
3. Services &
Support
(Interested Direct
Communication
participants)
4. Law
Enforcement
follow through
(First and worst
offenders)
1. Ongoing
Analysis
Data & Intel
Shooting Reviews
2. Normally conducted
by OPD, Community
Partners, USAO, DA,
service providers, faith
leaders, victims of
violence. survivors
1. Involves problem
analysis; crime
analysis, Ceasefire,
CGIC, and other
partners & academics
3. DVP , Service
Providers, and Life
Coaches
4. OPD Ceasefire Unit and
other units/agencies as
necessary
7 When we talk about Ceasefire
We are really talking about these activities:
1. In-depth analysis of risk
2. Direct, respectful communication
3. Intensive, relationship-based life coaching and other services needed
4. Intelligence-based enforcement, informed by the principles of procedural justice
These activities are implemented continuously as a closely coordinated, joint strategy to reduce shootings citywide.
8 Data Driven
1. Identify groups & individuals at very highest risk of violence through ongoing, intensive, and systematic data collection and analysis with a particular focus on social networks.
2. The primary tools that we use to gather data are comprehensive problem analyses, and weekly shooting reviews
3. Achieving community-wide reductions in violence required a shift from assessing categorical risk factors/assessing “overall” risk to identifying and engaging groups and individuals at imminent risk of involvement in gun violence.
4. Oakland’s violence prevention efforts have associated a person’s probability of involvement in violence with individual, situational, or community risk factors, but most people in high-risk populations never get involved in gun violence.
5. That is, even within a generally high-risk population, risk of gun violence is super concentrated among a small number of people and more closely related to the characteristics of individuals’ social networks than to categorical risk factors– this is Andrew Papachristos’ “handshake away” formula.
9 Data Driven - Shooting Review
• The purpose of Shooting Review is to provide and share real-time information on the most active groups and individuals in order to prevent retaliation. While solving crime may occur at Shooting Review, this is not the primary focus.
The focus is preventing retaliation. Retaliation is a common and unique element of gang/group-related shootings and homicides.
• Shooting Review focusses on the details of shootings and homicides that occurred during the week including strategies for deterrence (e.g. service provider outreach, Custom Notification) or resolution of cases, etc. • Shooting Review provides a designated time and place for discussion as well as collaboration and information-sharing among OPD departments and other law enforcement agencies. • In addition to the Shooting Review a weekly meeting is held to review the most recent NIBIN results. (CGIC leads this meeting). The purpose of the NIBIN review is to identify and confirm current gang/group conflicts, identify subjects and/or gang/groups that are driving the violence, assist Area Commanders with the allocation of police resources to help reduce retaliatory shootings and to provide additional intelligence to assist investigators and the Ceasefire Unit .
The GOAL: Prevent Retaliation
10 COMMON FACTOR
Data Driven- Problem Analysis
The “problem analysis” is a set of analysis exercises designed to support the implementation of violence reduction strategies (Ceasefire). This analysis establishes a common understanding of the local violence problem that guides and informs the work of Ceasefire to reduce violence. It also identifies the networks and individuals within our community who are at greatest risk of violence and helps tailor an intervention to reduce that risk.
*A current problem analysis is being conducted but is not yet complete. 12 Communication is The Key
We know that a relatively small number of highly active groups, representing less than one half of one percent of a city’s population, will routinely be connected with up to three- quarters of all homicides in Oakland. Within that small population of groups, an even smaller number of highly active “impact players” drives the violence.
Impact players typically represent only 10 to 20 percent of group members, yet they are responsible for a majority of group violence, whether by instigating conflict or committing violent offenses themselves.
Both in theory and in practice, it follows that changing the behavior of these groups and impact players will have a powerful impact on violence.
13 Direct Communications
We want to reach those groups and individuals at very highest risk of violence with the direct and respectful communication of an evidence-based “risk and opportunity” message.
Custom notifications and call-ins are a means of communicating with impact players to warn them of violent activity, to give them information about their legal exposure and risks and to offer them opportunities for help – services through Oakland’s Department of Violence Prevention and its network.
This is done by an alliance of concerned community leaders, victims, clergy, service providers and criminal justice agency representatives - through call-ins and custom notifications.
14 people
430
k
250
-
300
people
Focus on
very high-risk
individuals
OAKLAND’S
POPULATION
VERY HIGH-RISK
POPULATION
15 Per the 2019-2020 problem analysis our focus is on
approximately 250 - 300 individuals per year.
Direct Communications
(Custom Notifications)
Custom Notifications are a quick tactical tool, that is tailored for particular individuals or groups. Custom notifications are usually used to:
1. Manage near-term spikes in violence, including conflicts between groups.
2. Interrupt retaliatory shooting.
3. Communicate with groups/individuals offering services.
4. To keep open lines of communication with priority groups/individuals. 16 Direct Communications
(Call-Ins)
Call-ins can be transformative experiences in which group members, community members, and law enforcement experience each other in a different –direct way. At their core, call- ins are a communication tool, a way to speak to group members and deliver critical information.
1. A call-in is a face-to-face meeting between the Ceasefire partnership and group members representing groups active in the City of Oakland.
2. Call-ins rely on probation and parole to bring group members to the meeting.
3. Call-ins communicate with groups/individuals offering services.
4. Partners present their message and ask the attendees to take what they have heard back to their groups.
18 Services
1. Employ a relationship-focused life coaching effort with as many of this pool of very highest risk individuals as is possible.
2. The initial focus is on reducing the immediate risk of violence & incarceration.
3. This also includes laying the groundwork for a long-term supportive relationship that enables DVP staff to:
Monitor individuals’ continuing risk of violence & incarceration Support personal change & improved educational & employment outcomes 20 Services
1. Number of Ceasefire participants who received a direct communication and received life coaching January 1 – September 30, 2023: 88
2. Number of Ceasefire participants who received a direct communication and received other DVP funded services January 1 – September 30, 2023: 19
21 Law Enforcement’s Role
Ceasefire Unit: Strategic & Laser Focused Enforcement
Coordinated law enforcement action against members of a violent groups, performed by the law enforcement operational team of the Ceasefire partnership.
The Ceasefire unit coordinates with other agencies and units to conduct its enforcement. Performed upon a jurisdiction’s most active and violent individuals, it demonstrates to other individuals and groups that the partnership is serious about ending violence.
22 125 90 79 83 85 71 67 75 102 124 118
553
471 420 342 307 279 276 287
495
599
456
678
561
499
425
392
350 343 362
597
733
576
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Homicides Non Fatal Shootings Total Shootings
Oakland Shootings
2012-2022
*Ceasefire Partnership began on October 18, 2012. There had been a 46.7% reduction in fatal and non-fatal shootings between 2012-2019. 2022 data is through November 7, 2022.
23 QUESTIONS?
24 Ceasefire Director: Damita Davis-Howard
Captain of Ceasefire: Captain Frederick Shavies