Decatur LAC Meeting 2 Minutes

Thursday, May 12, 2022

12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Via Zoom

Agenda

1. Roll Call
2. Review and Approve Previous Meeting Minutes
3. Appoint LAC Lead Contact
4. Determine Schedule for Summer Meetings
5. Discuss and Complete Summer Recommendations Exercise
6. Other Business
7. Next Meeting
8. Adjourn

Minutes

1. Roll Call
   • Attendees: Julia, Melverda, Jerry, Shane, James, Kyle
   • Quorum was reached
2. Review and Approve Previous Meeting Minutes
   • Minutes were approved
3. Appoint LAC Lead Contact
   • N/AN/A
4. Determine Schedule for Summer Meetings
5. Discuss and Complete Summer Recommendations Exercise
   • LAC members discussed summer recommendations please see below.
6. Next Meeting N/A 
7. Adjourn

Strategies

• Which of these strategies are most needed to interrupt and prevent firearm violence in your community (select up to 4 in each category):

1. Direct Violence Prevention Funding:
   1. Youth Development
      • Need help/facilitation of developing dreams
   2. Street Outreach  
      • Need people to administer that work
   3. Victim Services  
      •  Providing options to support families
   4. High Risk Youth Interventions X
2. Social Determinant Investments: none chosen
3. Activities: none chosen
4. Other Business
5. Qualitative Questions
   1. Who needs to be prioritized for violence prevention programming?
      1. On street level: teenage males. Most common is anywhere from age 15 to 22. Even as young as 14.
         • Within this group? Primarily AA/B males are 95% of victims and perpetrators.
         • Not to say that girls/young women aren't violent at all. They do fight and can be a factor involved in violence. Self-esteem piece is very influential in violence and disrupting systems in a way that creates violence. Needs to be a well-rounded system.
      2. Youth up to 25 years old.
      3. What about from a proactive perspective? Reaching and engaging with folks, primarily male, younger than 15.
         • Consider who influences those children? Parents and other adults.
         • Some kids are living in a combat-like environment. How can we reach those individuals who are recruiting young people? If we can't reach those people, perhaps we can educate and provide awareness for children so that they are less likely to become recruited.
         • CBT is very effective for handling stress, conflict, goal setting. Can we bring CBT to young people, especially those in transition or other stressful times ie 8th graders or even transitioning to middle school.
   2. Where should violence prevention programming be focused (specific blocks, census tracks, neighborhoods)?
      1. Chief indicates this is all over the city, not necessarily one area. Possibly a few excluded areas but very limited.
      2. Heat map can be helpful on this for a visual.
      3. Mayor meeting soon w new school Superintendent (Ms Wilkins has an upcoming meeting with Superintendent also) and will mention possible CBT/SEL-type programming.
         1. How can we build capacity with facilitators to reach more young people.
         2. School is certainly one venue for this training but there are also many kids not in school who need interface with these programs and trainings even more. How do we target those kids/young people who may need this most.
         3. Consider kids/young folks who were "lost" during COVID ie stopped going to school, perhaps had to move. Ms Wilkins is working with school to re-establish contact with those students. Then we can get them to APEX classes and get them graduated. Then we help them with next steps & a future, providing hope for those young folks.
         4. Some youth have false notion that they need to be affiliated with a shooter/perpetrator. Needing to change that perspective.
   3. What best practice interventions are you aware of that are meeting the needs of the community?
      1. CBT
      2. Community-based programming
   4. What else is needed in your community to address firearm violence in your community, including funding and activities not described above?
      1. Remember to address needs of the whole community. What can you do today to change your outcome? That will ripple through the community in the future.
      2. Need to change lack of trust and cooperation with police/authority/government more widely, in part because folks don't have a say or voice in those processes and institutions. Folks have not had a real opportunity and voice to participate.
         1. Consider the branding of "snitching". How do we change the messaging there so folks feel encouraged to participate in improving/addressing violence, so they trust the authorities that can assist.
      3. Better representation of the diversity of community. Ie not just AA/B folks in a space, but in leadership roles with real influence. Physical inclusion is key.