On July 2, 2013 the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) released the 2013 National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy. Broadly, the report outlines a number of strategic goals and objectives designed to reduce the supply and demand for illegal drugs.
Under the Strategic Goal to 'Substantially reduce the flow of illicit drugs, drug proceeds, and associated instruments of violence across the Southwest border,” and the Strategic Objective to 'Develop strong and resilient communities that resist criminal activity and promote healthy lifestyles,” ONDCP recognizes the work done in Salinas with the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention (NFYVP) to develop action plans for addressing youth violence, aside from turning youth over to the justice system. ONDCP further recommends that the US Department of Justice work with Salinas and the NFYVP to identify specific strategies and actions that be applied to border communities, and supply the resources to enact these changes.
The City of Salinas has been recognized nationally for its efforts in youth violence prevention. Among the local efforts leading to this national recognition are:
- The formation of and coordination of CASP, the Community Alliance for Safety and Peace
- The development of the City of Salinas Comprehensive Strategy for Community-wide Violence Reduction
- The implementation of the Cross Functional Team, a diverse group of practitioners and community members working together in the Hebbron neighborhood to address the specific concerns of that community
- The deployment of the 'CASP Officers,” two place-based community police officers assigned to the Hebbron neighborhood
- The deployment of Night Walks, led by local clergy and neighborhood leaders
- The deployment of Violence Interrupters, made possible by a grant from Project Safe Neighborhoods through the United States Attorney, Northern District of California
- The implementation of the Community Leadership Academy, where residents are trained in community leadership and engagement
Other cities invited by the White House for membership in the National Forum are: San Jose, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Memphis, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Camden NJ and Minneapolis.
ONDCP's press release is at http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/07/02/2013-national-southwest-border-counternarcotics-strategy-released
The National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy is at http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/ondcp/policy-and-research/southwest_border_strategy_2013.pdf
Information regarding the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention can be found at http://findyouthinfo.gov/youth-topics/preventing-youth-violence/about-national-forum
Questions may be directed to Director of Community Safety Georgina Mendoza at 831-758-7269 or Police Chief Kelly McMillin at 831-758-7286 or 831-758-7999.