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Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits | Sobrato Center for Nonprofits | 1400 Parkmoor Ave, Ste 130 | San Jose, CA 95126 January 27, 2023
San José Mayor and City Council
San José City Hall
200 East Santa Clara Street
San José, California 95113
Sent via electronic mail
Re: Item 7.1, Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force Plan – San José Youth Violence Prevention Strategy
Dear Mayor Mahan and Members of the City Council:
I write to you on behalf of the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits (SVCN), an alliance of community-based organizations working to support thriving and equitable communities in Santa Clara County.
SVCN writes in support of the recommendations by the Neighborhood Services and Education Committee for item 7.1--accepting the Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force Strategic Plan, adopting the new name of San José Youth Empowerment Alliance, and discontinuing the term “hot spots” to define areas of high youth and gang crime and replace it with Opportunity Neighborhoods.
SVCN and representatives of the BEST providers are grateful to have had seats at the table in the strategic planning process and we appreciate the hard work of staff, consultants, and stakeholders in moving this work forward so thoughtfully and inclusively. SVCN generally approves of the direction that the strategic plan took, and would like to emphasize that BEST services are a cost-effective part of the City’s strategy to support youth and prevent crime and violence. Doubling down the investment in prevention and intervention, particularly in community-based approaches rather than continuing to focus primarily on policing and carceral approaches, would really make San José a smart city.
Regards,