Oakland Ceasefire’s demise?

Oakland Ceasefire Program’s Decline: A Recipe for Disaster

According to Oaklandside, The article discusses the decline of Oakland Ceasefire program, a strategy that was effective in reducing gun violence in the city, but has since been abandoned and led to a surge in gun violence. An audit conducted by the California Partnership for Safe Communities found that the city had “significantly watered down” essential elements of the Ceasefire strategy, leading to a decline in its effectiveness. The audit identified several factors that contributed to the decline, including:

5 Reasons Why Oakland Ceasefire Program Failed

1. Loss of trust: The scandal surrounding Oakland Unite, an organization that was involved in Ceasefire, led to a loss of trust in the program and the police department.
2. Shift in focus: The creation of the Violent Crime Operations Center (VCOC) shifted the focus of the police department from prevention to investigation, which weakened the Ceasefire program.
3. Decline in resources: The city reduced funding for Ceasefire and other violence prevention programs, leading to a decline in services and outreach.
4. Lack of communication: The audit found that there was a breakdown in communication between the police department, community organizations, and individuals at risk of being involved in gun violence.
5. Lack of focus on firearms: The Department of Violence Prevention (DVP) was not focused exclusively on firearms violence, but rather on a range of violent crimes, including intimate partner violence and commercial sex trafficking.

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Oakland Ceasefire’s demise? (PHOTO: CNN)

The audit recommends several changes to get Ceasefire back on track, including:

1. Re-establishing the crime reduction teams in each policing area
2. Prioritizing direct communications with individuals at risk of being involved in gun violence
3. Increasing funding for life coaching and outreach services
4. Combining violence interrupter and outreach worker roles into a single position
5. Increasing the number of intensive life coaches and violence interrupters

The mayor has committed to implementing these changes and has already taken steps to address some of the issues identified in the audit. However, it will take time to fully implement the recommended changes and rebuild trust in the Ceasefire program.

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