Office of Justice Programs Weekly News Brief

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Office of Justice Programs:

OJP Hosts National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention; Releases Reports About Gangs — On October 4 and 5, teams of representatives from Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, Tenn., Salinas, Calif. and San Jose, Calif. met with federal agencies and each other to share information and experience about what works in preventing youth and gang violence.  The meeting was held at the direction of President Obama and hosted by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education.  The participating cities have pledged to develop or enhance comprehensive plans to prevent youth and gang violence in their city, using multi-disciplinary partnerships, balanced approaches, and data-driven strategies.  The plans will be presented at a Youth Violence Summit to be held in Washington next Spring. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/newsroom/newsroom.htm

Also this week, OJP's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), released the second edition of Best Practices To Address Community Gang Problems.  This edition updates the original report released in 2008 and is intended to provide communities considering implementing OJJDP's Comprehensive Gang Model with critical information to inform and guide their efforts.  It describes the research that produced the model; best practices obtained from practitioners with extensive experience planning, implementing, and overseeing variations of the model in their communities; and essential findings from evaluations of several programs demonstrating the model in a variety of environments. http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/231200.pdf

In addition, on October 4, OJP's Bureau of Justice Statistics released its study, Gang Units in Large Local Law Enforcement Agencies, 2007.  This report is the first nationwide study of specialized police units dedicated to gangs and it discusses the operations of gang units, including intelligence gathering approaches, investigational tactics, gang suppression techniques, law enforcement agency support work, and gang prevention activities.   According to the report, in 2007, 365 of the nation's large (100 or more sworn officers) police departments and sheriffs' offices had specialized gang units, employing a median of 5 officers per unit and more than 4,300 full-time equivalent sworn officers nationwide. http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov

Redesigned Web Site Launched — After consulting with those in the victims' services field, OJP's Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) recently unveiled its redesigned Web site.  "OVC reorganized our Web site to make information easier to find and to use," said Joye Frost, Acting Director for OVC.  "We believe the increased functionality will better meet the needs of the field." The Web site includes new tools and information for the victim services' field, including an interactive resource map, sample grant applications, and a searchable database of frequently asked questions.  The site also offers enhanced search functionality, access to free publications, DVDs and videos, and training and technical assistance. www.ovc.gov

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SOURCE Office of Justice Programs