GRIP: Richmond Gang Reduction and Intervention Program
Richmond is Getting a GRIP on Gangs
The Virginia Attorney General’s Office received a $2.5 million grant from the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to coordinate programs and fight gang violence in the City of Richmond. The grant is one of just four awarded nationally in a pilot program run by the Department of Justice. The Office of the Attorney General administers the program while working closely with the City of Richmond, the Richmond Police Department and community-based organizations by using new and existing programs to combat gangs and provide children with healthy alternatives to gang involvement.
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Richmond was selected by the Department of Justice because it meets a number of the qualifying criteria, including a significant existing investment in programs that address gang activity, strong indications of citizen involvement, and relatively high rates of crime and gang activity. The targeted area is located in South Richmond.
PRIMARY PREVENTION
The Gang Reduction Program is designed to approach the problem by attempting to prevent children from joining gangs initially. In the primary prevention strategy, high-crime and high-risk areas are targeted with one-stop service resource centers. In addition, pre-natal and infancy programs may compliment after school and summer activities and truancy and dropout prevention programs.
SECONDARY PREVENTION
Under the secondary prevention component, children between the ages of seven and fifteen who may be at risk of joining gangs will be identified and offered educational involvement in schools, community-based and faith-based organizations.
GANG INTERVENTION
The gang intervention effort targets gang members, their associates and former gang members who are being released from prison. This strategy requires aggressive outreach to gang members and recruits in order to guide them into assessment, intervention and monitoring programs.
GANG SUPPRESSION
Under the gang suppression method, gang leaders are targeted by local, state and federal law enforcement officers and removed from the community using federal charges, aggressive prosecutions, and enhanced sentences.
REENTRY PROGRAM
Finally, the reentry program seeks to return former gang members to their communities, paying special attention to those who may face multiple legal or lifestyle obstacles. A key part of this plan is the sharing of information between confinement facilities, probation and parole officers, and community intervention service providers.
- After school programs
- Information on GRIP through Brochure
- Citizenship Classes
- Class Action Summer Camp
- Community Assistance
- Community Events
- Liaison to Hispanic Population
- Community Role Models and Mentors
- Community Revitalization
- Conversational Spanish Classes for Service Providers
- Crime Data Review
- Directed Police Patrol in Targeted Area
- Educational, Vocational and GED Classes
- English as a Second Language Classes
- Gang Training for service providers, schools and community
- Intelligence Sharing between departments and agencies
- Intervention Team
- Job Development Programs
- Programs promoting growth of small businesses
- Job Training Programs
- Job Placement Programs
- Mental Health Programs
- Substance Abuse Programs
- Mentoring Programs
- Tutoring Programs
- Neighborhood Watch Programs
- Offender Reentry Programs
- One Stop Resource Center
- Public Awareness of GRIP Activities
- Prenatal, Infancy and Family Health Support
- Project Exile
- Public/Private Job Training Partnerships
- Programs at Recreational Facilities
- Residential Programs
- Richmond Area Crime Stoppers
- Training and Equipment for Richmond Police Department
- Training for School Resource Officers
- Spanish as a Second Language Classes
- Sports Academies
- Suppression Services through targeted prosecutions
- Tattoo Removal
- Theatre Groups for Youth
- Truancy and Drop Out Prevention
- Wrap Around Services at Schools
GRIP collaborates with other committees, service providers and the community itself to leverage additional resources. It is this collaboration that has provided the ability for GRIP to fund as many programs as it has.
In addition, funding directed to the Richmond Police Department through Directed Patrol has provided a decrease in crime in general in the target area during funded periods as follows:
- Crime overall is down 35%
- Aggravated Assault down 83%
- Property Crime is down 31%
- Robberies are down 44%
- Major crime is down 28%
- Homicide is down 85%
The goal of the program is to reduce gang activity and to provide youth and the community a safer and healthier environment. We feel that GRIP has been successful in making a difference in the targeted community and has received a second small grant for a replication site in the Northside of Richmond.
http://www.oag.state.va.us/KEY_ISSUES/GANGS/Gangs_GRIP_Program.html
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