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Operation Phoenix Success Puts Critics to Shame |
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Thursday, 08 March 2007 |
SAN BERNARDINO
By Cheryl Brown
For over one and a half hours the San Bernardino City
Council sat silent as Jim Morris, Mayor Pat Morris' Chief of Staff led a group
of Operation Phoenix evaluators and stakeholders. An effort that came out of
Mayor Morris' campaign platform and targeted a 20 block high crime area. When
the experts were through a city council who two weeks ago voted $1.6 million to
the Police Department exclusively for suppression efforts found out that
suppression "only" doesn't work. Councilman Neil Derry didn't stay for the
report that showed the success of suppression, intervention and prevention and
what it can do in less than a year. Council members seemed to be uncomfortable
with the glowing report that had children service workers and longtime business
owners touting the message that Operation Phoenix is working even outside of
the targeted area. A very proud Councilman Dennis Baxter was pleased with a
community that he has lived in most of his life. Tobin Brinker pulled out his
business cards used for campaigning and read one of his pledges was to support
Operation Phoenix. Esther Estrada and Rikke Van Johnson, who supported the
multi-pronged approach, were elated with the results of the effort so far.
"As we said we are reporting back on whether it worked or
not," said Jim Morris. By all accounts it worked. "Suppression, Intervention
and Prevention. These are the pillars upon which we will rebuild our city out
of the ashes of crime and violence, and into a shinning example of peace,
prosperity and renewal (Mayor Morris said in December, 2005.)
Under suppression, the police department coordinated with
multiple agencies, targeted illegal gun and drug traffickers, made 119 arrests
of the Mexican Mafia gang network, seized $820,000 in cash, 41 vehicles,
illegal guns and more than 35 pounds of methamphetamine.
Under Intervention the plan aggressively attacked
non-violent crime and fully supported community courts and developed
neighborhood partnerships with the Neighborhood Watch program. Police and code
enforcement worked as partners to attack non-violent crime.
In the area of Prevention, the city coordinated with the
county to support healthy babies' initiatives and identify affordable and
quality pre-school opportunities, expanded after school programs with city
schools and county offices of education, increased youth sports programs,
revitalized participation in neighborhood associations, transforming the city
form renters to homeowners and adopted beautification partnerships.
"This area has always been a problem, I now have more
resources, we are more organized and now crime is down. I don't often get to
stand here to share success with you. Is it successful, the numbers speak for
themselves," said Chief Billdt.
The survey showed a change in attitude and action by the
neighbors as born out by a survey taken by Cal State University. Christine N. Famega, Ph.D
Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice laid out the results
of the survey. "The survey shows people who said they felt somewhat safe
changed for the better 15 percentage points; very unsafe changed 22.4 percentage
points. She reported that even the police dealing with neighborhood problems
had changed significantly. "Crime is down, our street looks much better, we
were going to move, but now we are staying. This is a good town it just needs
some help," were a sampling of comments on the survey.
Kent Paxton, the County's Children's Services Manager spoke
of the way the program has helped the county do a better job with children's
services and how the collaboration has forged important alliances.
Michael Martinez, Deputy District Attorney used the analogy
of crime being like cancer. "You need a three pronged approach. Surgery,
chemotherapy and lifestyle change. Suppression is boots on the street,
Intervention is the most difficult to achieve but as necessary as chemotherapy
and prevention is a long term solution. Does suppression alone work NO we
cannot arrest our way out of OUR problem? Intervention needs a lifestyle change
and prevention lasts all the time. Operation Phoenix is well balanced." He said just the
opposite of what the council members said is needed with the Measure Z funds.
Carla Cruise, a Psychologist in the Student Services
Division, said that this collaboration has assisted the school district in
finding children who are not in school and getting them enrolled. She said that
this collaboration will go a long way in helping the district youths.
The cost for the program was $393,145 in soft and hard costs
much less than the $1.6 million the council allocated to suppression alone.
According to Jim Morris, "the program is not intended to be a long term
government program so it must be sustained and it needs to be expanded so the
plans are in the works for both." Operation Phoenix is a non-profit organization and they
plan to write grants for the program. After the presentation McCammack gave
Glen Baud, Operation Phoenix and Code Enforcement Director a check for $500.
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