Peacebuilding Brownbag

Community Engagement in Violence Prevention Policymaking

This Peacebuilding Brownbag took place on May 28, 2008 at the Western Justice Center.

Resources

The Community Engagement Advisory Committee's "Community-Based Gang Intervention Model: Definition and Structure"

Los Angeles City COuncils's Ad Hoc COmmittee on Gang Violence and Youth Development

City of Long Beach

Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Task Force Power Point

An Interim Report and Re-examination of the Problem of Youth and Gang Violence in the city of Long Beach: Executive Summary

Western Justice Center Foundation Resource List

Information Flyer

Objective:

Provide an opportunity to disseminate information and discuss community engagement best practices for shaping policy to reduce youth and gang violence.

Panelists included:

Michael de la Rocha is a Policy Advisor for the City of Los Angeles Human Relations Commission.  Mr. de la Rocha co-chairs the LA City Council Ad Hoc Committee on Gang Violence and Youth Development Community Engagement Advisory Committee. The Committee recently developed the nation's first comprehensive "Community-Based Gang Intervention Model." In addition, Mr. de la Rocha was responsible for co-creating and co-facilitating a 6-month, 30-hour Human Relations & Conflict Management Training to help identify and diffuse racialized-gang conflict within the LA County Probation Department. He also co-founded the Joint City and County Juvenile Justice Task Force, a collaborative working to more effectively share city, county and community resources, information and services in the Northeast San Fernando Valley.  Mr. de la Rocha has a BA in American Literature & Culture and Chicana/o Studies from UCLA and will graduate with his Masters degree in Inter-Cultural Conflict and Resolution from CSU Dominguez Hills in the fall.

Lydia Hollie is the Chair for the Long Beach Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Task Force.  Dr. Hollie served 8 years on the City of Long Beach Human Relations Commission, including a 2-year distinguished term as Chairperson. Under her  leadership, the Commission drafted a landmark document entitled An Interim Report and Re-examination of the Problem of Youth and Gang Violence in the City of Long Beach (2003), which led to the 2004 creation of the Long Beach Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Task Force. Dr. Hollie led the Task Force’s multi-agency steering committee, in the successful application of a 5-year, $1 million award, to address prevention, intervention, suppression, re-entry, and community restoration in an area particularly plagued by high crime.  Presently, she also serves as Co-Chair of the Police Beats 4 & 5 Weed & Seed Project Steering Committee.  Dr. Hollie has a JD from The American University in Washington, DC, an MA in Education from Argosy University-Orange County and a BA in Political Science from California State University-Northridge.

Andrea Rico is the Youth and Family Services Manager for the City of Pomona.  In her position, Mrs. Rico manages the Youth and Family Master Plan, which is a community-based initiative that concentrates on reducing violence in the City of Pomona.  The Plan has identified three major factors facing Pomona Youth and their families.  Through partnerships and community involvement, the plan focuses on reducing those risk factors by increasing protective factors through the leveraging of resources and service provider coordination.  Prior to her current position, she worked for the City of Santa Ana as an Educational Program Coordinator for 8 years and was responsible for prevention programs for at-risk youth and their families. Mrs. Rico holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Vanguard University and a Masters Degree from Chapman University in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Youth and Behavior.

Robert Arias is the President of Communities in Schools, San Fernando Valley and Greater Los Angeles.  Mr. Arias graduated from USC in 1974 and 1976 with Masters Degrees in Social Work and Public Administration.  He was the Executive Director at USC’s Learning Center from 1976-79 and the Director of Athletics at LMU from 1979-85.  Mr. Arias has been with Communities in Schools since the 1980s, serving youth in multiple positions, including as the Southwest Regional Director and President of Communities in Schools Los Angeles (CIS/LA).  CIS/LA merged with CIS/SFV in 2001.  His passions include youth crime prevention, intervention, mentoring, youth entrepreneur programs and both adult and youth job development and youth fitness initiatives.  Mr. Arias is a member of the Western Justice Center Foundation Board of Directors.