Item #4 Building an Ecosystem for Peace - Office of Violence Prevention — original pdf

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Office of Violence Prevention BUILDING AN ECOSYSTEM FOR PEACE MICHELLE MYLES, MS, MANAGER The Office of Violence Prevention Vision: A peaceful, and safe Austin for everyone Mission: Fostering peace in Austin by working with communities to shape policy, coordinate violence reduction strategies, and initiatives informed by data and committed to equity Akins High School Mural, Mexic-Arte Museum OVP Project Office of Violence Prevention Community Based Public Safety Public Safety OVP Public Health Actualizing Peace Model Equitably Safe City Thriving Community Healing + Connection Centered Awareness Key Actions Address Social Determinants of Health Protect, Promote, Prevent Increase protective Factors Decrease Risk Factors Increase resiliency Key Reductions Community and Firearm Violence Domestic Violence Aggravated Assaults Key Strategies Hot spots Those most at risk Cross functional strategic planning Public Health Approach Co-creating Investments & Interventions Define the Problem Identify Risk and Protective Factors Develop and Test Strategies Scale to Level of Need Assure Adoption of Strategies and Tell the story OVP Value Proposition ACTIONS IMPACTS Invest in evidenced based programs Build conditions for safety and peace Community informed data analysis Improve trust by addressing local needs Collaborate with aligned stakeholders Shared Vision, mission and accountability Build local capacity to prevent violence Effective grassroots initiatives for peace Engage public in co-creating safety Build momentum for actualizing peace The Office of Violence Prevention Investments Youth Programs • Community Art and Screen It! • PeaceRox • GenYW Firearm Violence Reduction • ATX Peace Community Violence Intervention • Safe Gun Storage Saves Lives • Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP) Healing and Restoration • Harvest Trauma Recovery Center • Address Your Stress • Prevent Violence by Intervention and Education Getting a Better Understanding DRIVERS AND SOLUTIONS TO ENDING VIOLENCE Gun Violence Problem Analysis (2021-2022 ) Gun Violence Problem Analysis (GVPA) • Identifies local drivers of violence and strategies to reduce gun violence. • Identifies networks and people who are highest risk for violence • GVPA is primarily a practice document with implications for local policy. Limitations for Austin • Unable to examine nonfatal injury shootings (not tracked) • Only Homicide Division Sergeants participated in case reviews due to staffing • Unable to review entire victim/suspect criminal histories. Austin Homicide Rates (per capita.): 2008-2022 8.3 7.1 6.8 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 4.8 4.1 4.8 3.1 2.9 3.5 3.7 3.5 3.0 2.5 3.3 3.3 2.6 Austin Texas United States Hotspots January 2021 – December 2022 HOMICIDES HOTSPOTS GUN HOMICIDE HOTSPOTS Victims and Suspects Demographics Age of Victims and Suspects (n=335) 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 10.9% 7.0% 39.3% 24.5% 25.9% 26.8% 23.1% 15.9% 9.8% 9.8% 5.5% 1.6% 17 and under 18-24 45-54 55 and older 25-34 Victims 35-44 Suspects Victims and Suspects Prior Criminal History At least 66% of homicide suspects and 59% of homicide victims had prior criminal justice system involvement. Of those: • At least 54% of homicide victims and suspects had prior felony convictions. been incarcerated. had prior probation. • At least 34% of homicide victims and suspects had previously • At least 32% of homicide suspects and 34% of homicide victims Homicide Circumstances and Group Involvement Instant dispute Personal dispute Domestic dispute Drug-related dispute Robbery Mental illness Drug robbery Group-related dispute Child abuse/neglect Other Unknown TOTAL All Homicide Circumstances Proportion Group-Member Involved Frequency Percent 29 24 18 16 18 12 4 2 2 2 15 142 20.4% 16.9% 12.7% 11.3% 12.7% 8.5% 2.8% 1.4% 1.4% 1.4% 10.6% 7 7 1 5 4 0 1 2 0 0 2 29 24.1% 29.2% 5.6% 31.3% 22.2% 25.0% 100% - - - 13.3% 20.4% Texas Syndromic Surveillance System (2020-2022) Most disparate impacts were found in the following zip codes: •78701 •78753 •78758 •78724 Getting a Better Understanding: Key Take Aways • Crime clusters in hotspots • Crime spiked during COVID-19 pandemic across the nation • African American and Hispanic males aged 18-44 are mostly impacted by homicides • Across violence types presented individuals 18-44 are overly represented • Disputes are the precipitating event in most homicides • Roughly 60% of perpetrators and victims of homicide had prior criminal justice involvement • Council districts 1,2,3, and 4 are experiencing higher instances of homicides. OVP Goal: Design a robust data infrastructure to understand the drivers and solutions to violence reductions incorporating community knowledge, crime data, hospital data and other data sets to truly understand how to reduce violence and have greater safety. Getting Better at Working Together COMMUNITY BASED PROJECT PLANNING Integrated Structure for Impact Community Guides priorities City Collaborative leadership Partners Meaningful implementation Givens Park Community Initiative Overview Office of Violence Prevention, Parks and Recreation Department, and Watershed Protection, Austin Police Department, Life Anew, Hungry Hill Foundation and Community members worked in collaboration to bring more resources to Givens Park leading to greater safety. Key Focus Areas • Data Collection (APD, Surveys, Community) • Community Engagement and Collaboration • Crime Prevention through Environmental Design • Enhance PARD Programs Givens Park Initiative Accomplishments •Established Givens Park Advisory Board (recommendation from community members) •Created clear sightlines throughout the park, enhancing safety and beauty •Removed debris from Grow Zones, placed new signage and held community education opportunities •ATX Peace (Life Anew and Hungry Hill Foundation) provided Community Violence Intervention (CVI) work to build relations, conduct surveys, and reduce crime.​ Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP) Address the nexus of Domestic Violence and Gun Violence Establish a standardized firearm surrender protocol in domestic violence protective order and criminal cases across jurisdictions in Austin and Travis County Austin/Travis County Family Violence Task Force 2016 Austin/Travis County Family Violence Task Force 2020 *County Attorney Office (agency specific) 2021 OVP FTAP Grant Award 2022 FTAP Working Group established December 2023 Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP) Evolution of Firearm Surrender Protocols in Austin/Travis County Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP) Working Group Goals Prevent Domestic Violence and reduce homicides Increase reporting of firearms in Domestic Violence cases Decrease Domestic Violence recidivism Increase number of guns surrendered Increase arrest for failure to surrender firearm Increase overall safety of the survivor and their children Interagency Integration of protocol Increase Number of Protective Orders filed Getting Better at Getting Better RELENTLESS COMMITMENT TO PROCESS IMPROVEMENT, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND SUCCESS Integration of OVP into Austin’s Public Safety Ecosystem Comprehensive Violence Reduction Public Safety Plan Invest to the level of need Create systems of accountability Ensure decision makers involvement Be committed to making a peaceful, and safe Austin for everyone Thank you! Questions? The Office of Violence Prevention https://www.austintexas.gov/ovp Address Your Stress https://www.austintexas.gov/stress Harvest Trauma Recovery Center https://harvesttrc.org/ ATX Peace https://www.atxpeace.org/ Safe Gun Storage Saves Lives https://safegunstoragesaveslives.org/