III. Needs and Challenges

A. Identifying Critical Needs

A needs assessment was conducted to identify critical needs in Salinas related to violence reduction and prevention. To identify critical needs, community listening sessions were held, the Action Plan listing relevant programs and services was analyzed for gaps and interviews with individuals working in areas of potential need were conducted.

In preparation for the update of the strategic plan, listening sessions were held with 125 Salinas residents during the first half of 2018. The sessions were led by Strategic Work Plan (SWP) members with diverse groups, including the faith community, recently released parolees, teens at the Boys & Girls Club, and elementary school teachers, among others. Groups of residents were asked:

The top four concerns most frequently raised by residents to reduce violence were:

Support for education (43)

Economic concerns, focusing on jobs, wages and income (31)

Community connectedness (31)

Housing (28)

Support for education included concerns for school funding of more, high quality staff; high quality education and materials; and afterschool programs. Interest in community connectedness focused on more youth and family activities, especially outdoors, with better promotion of these activities and events. The Strategic Work Plan Committee has added an objective to “Promote safe and sober family activities,” based on the residents’ concerns from the listening sessions.

An Action Plan has been continuously compiled by the Health Department’s STRYVE Program over the last five years. The Action Plan lists over 175 programs related to violence reduction and prevention, held in Salinas. Along with the program name, agencies are asked to provide the current number of program participants served in a year and a target number to increase the number of participants served. The Action Plan was used to assess whether services exist to fulfil each objective and whether existing services have sufficient reach to achieve Plan objectives.

Interviews with lead agency staff helped to determine in which objectives a critical need appears to exist. For example, deficits in the area of employment and job skills training were not labelled as critical needs but overcrowding among low wage workers suggests that there are not enough jobs that pay a living wage to afford the high costs of housing in Salinas. And while there appears to be sufficient programs for English language learning, it was reported that a lack of funding exists to purchase some of the materials needed to successfully complete the program.

During this discussion of critical needs, the Strategic Work Plan Committee members raised a concern that emerged in 2015 when Salinas experienced a record breaking 40 homicides. That need was for a crisis response team to visit the victim’s family and to connect with neighbors who may be traumatized by violence on their street. This was labelled a critical need and is shown on the list below:

Assessed Needs Identified Through Action Plan Analysis and Interviews with Lead Agency Staff

Assessed/ Identified Need

Crisis Response Team

Is this a critical need?

How could we fulfill this need?

Coordinate existing resources, such as Behavioral Health and City’s Street Outreach Team to serve neighborhood needs after a shooting

Case management of violenceimpacted individuals in need of housing, mental health and DMV services

Attaining a GED, high school diploma or equivalency

More students would benefit from enrollment in Alternative Education

More community-based case managers, with stable funding are needed. The challenge for the Street Outreach Team is finding qualified staff to serve as case managers

During the pandemic, there has been a waiting list for English language GED classes. Since this may be temporary, no changes will be made at this time

More youth could benefit from Alternative Education, but community partners do not seem to understand the referral process or understand the variety of Alternative Education Programs available.

There are a number of strategies that CASP can implement to help meet the needs identified in this process. Education, economic concerns and housing are macro level issues, strongly guided by State and Federal funding. However, the CASP Policy Committee could agree to support legislation and local initiatives such as the Alisal Vibrancy Plan; the CASP Board could invite local leadership in these areas to join CASP or ask them to make presentation(s); or CASP members could form a subcommittee to examine these issues as they relate to violence and offer their recommendations to relevant local organizations. Local agencies such as the City’s Housing and Community Development agency and Recreation & Community Services should be encouraged to share their recent Plans with CASP members, who can apply their knowledge of factors that affect violence, GIS hotspot mapping and trends in relevant data to suggest improvements.

B. Preventing and Reducing Homicides

In 2015 Salinas reached the highest number of homicides recorded by the City in the past 20 years. That year 40 residents were killed, primarily in gang-related violence. The Strategic Work Plan Committee met repeatedly to identify strategies to reduce the number of homicides. The Committee recognized that Salinas had lost its street outreach program and recommended funding to replace that important function.

The City of Salinas’ Street Outreach program focuses on high-risk, violence impacted youth, ages 14 to 24. This program prevents violence and has contributed to a significant reduction in homicides. Program staff visit neighborhoods experiencing higher rates of violence to connect with youth on the streets. Referrals are offered and interested youth are invited to join the City’s program. Once enrolled, an individualized case plan is developed, that might include drug rehabilitation, mental health counselling, or educational services to finish high school.

Since the launch of the program in 2016, 120 youth have been enrolled. Out of these 120 youth, eight have been arrested for gun charges, of which three were for homicides. None have been victims of homicide.

The Street Outreach program needs additional, qualified staff with integrity and an understanding of gang culture in Salinas.

In 2015 Salinas reached the HIGHEST NUMBER OF HOMICIDES RECORDED by the City in the past 20 years

The City of Salinas’ Street Outreach program focuses on high-risk, violence impacted youth, AGES 14 TO 24

Since the launch of the program in 2016, 120 YOUTH HAVE BEEN ENROLLED

C. Addition of Domestic Violence and Teen Dating Violence

With significant declines in gang violence, the prevalence of other violent crimes in Salinas became more apparent, particularly domestic violence. The City’s Cross-Functional Team noted the presence of domestic violence in the homes of many gang involved youth. The number of younger domestic violence victims in Salinas, ages 10-24 remains relatively unchanged from 167 in 2015 to 159 in 2020. However, the number of younger victims is increasing as percent of the total number of victims.*

The Community Alliance for Safety and Peace (CASP) voted to add these forms of violence to their focus on youth violence. The current efforts of CASP member agencies to prevent youth violence, domestic violence and teen dating violence have a broad impact on multiple forms of violence that share common risk and protective factors.** This broader view of violence is addressed in the updated Plan’s objectives, recognizing the need for “increased access to...crisis intervention services” and “an increased percentage of youth with healthy relationship skills.” the number of younger victims IS INCREASING AS PERCENT of the total number of victims

D. A Call to Action: Creating Protective Community Environments

A review of CASP member agencies’ programs in the Action Plan reveals a strong set of strategies to reduce and prevent violence, reaching tens of thousands of people in Salinas. Most of our strategies consist of services and programs that help individuals and families. These strategies have undoubtedly contributed to a significant decline in violent injuries among youth since 2008. However, additional strategies such as policy change, social marketing and changes that make the environment safer, are needed to further reduce violence in Salinas. While we have numerous strategies to engage and support youth, there are few strategies to address the conditions in the environment that influence youth behaviors and norms. For example, neighborhoods with a wellmaintained recreation center that is easily accessed and whose staff connects with youth have been shown to prevent violence. The social-ecological model considers the complex interaction between individual, relationship, community, and societal factors in the prevention of violence. More strategies at the community and societal levels will complement our existing strategies and strengthen our capacity to prevent violence.

* Salinas Police Department, 2015-2019. Prepared for: STRYVE Monterey County Health Department (MCHD), 2020. Prepared by: MCHD Plan- ning, Evaluation, and Policy Unit

** Wilkins N, Tsao B, Hertz M, Davis R, Klevens J (2014) Connecting the Dots: An Overview of the Links among Multiple Forms of Violence At- lanta GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevention Institute, Oakland CA.

Listed below are community and societal level change strategies shown to be effective in preventing multiple forms of violence. These strategies have been selected since they align with the objectives and goals in the Plan’s areas of “Social and Economic Conditions” and “Healthy and Safe Communities,” where existing programs are lacking. Agencies are encouraged to consider adapting their current programs to include a community level strategy, such as participation in a City Council meeting on issues that affect youth.

Social and Economic Conditions

Goal I: All residents have the ability and opportunity to earn a living wage; obtain appropriate housing and have access to necessary social and work support systems, to provide for their families.

New Strategies and Approaches

• Provide quality education early in life

• Improve organizational policies and school climate

• Create regulations and policies to improve household financial security and affordable housing

• Provide treatment to lessen harms of violent exposures

• Reduce concentrated poverty and residential instability

Examples

Preschool enrichment with family engagement

Businesses provide family leave, childcare policies; schools have protocols for assisting victims of teen dating violence. Businesses pay a livable wage providing a pathway to homeownership; cities support mixed use zoning and development that blends residential, commercial, and other uses into one space

School-based counsellors and trauma informed teaching methods; wellness centers on school campuses

Income tax assistance to receive “Earned Income Tax Credit;” community activities that build neighborhood cohesion

Healthy and Safe Communities

Goal II: Residents have pride in all neighborhoods, and all neighborhoods support peaceful community life and positive community engagement.

New Strategies and Approaches

• Improve the physical qualities of places where people come together

Examples

Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) to improve lighting, add more green space and routine maintenance of public spaces

• Improve social environment

• Decrease the density of alcohol outlets

• Change community norms that promote violence

Civic engagement that brings residents together for joint problem solving, such as Visión Salinas.

Map alcohol outlets and participate in efforts to limit new licenses

Social marketing campaign