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From the Los Angeles Times

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L.A. Unified to consider expanding anti-dating violence programs

The proposal comes in the wake of a fatal stabbing in which a high school girl was allegedly attacked by her ex-boyfriend. If approved, it would teach students to recognize when a relationship is becoming abusive.

by Rick Rojas, Los Angeles Times

October 11, 2011

On the heels of a fatal stabbing last month in which a high school girl was allegedly attacked by her ex-boyfriend, the Los Angeles Board of Education is expected to consider a proposal Tuesday that will take on teen dating violence by teaching students to recognize when a relationship is becoming abusive.

Board member Steve Zimmer, who called for the board action, said the Sept. 30 incident at South East High School "punctuates the urgency" for expanding anti-dating violence programs districtwide. Zimmer's proposal has been in the works for months, he said.

Abraham Lopez, 18, remains in custody — his bail set at nearly $1.3 million — in the killing of his ex-girlfriend, Cindi Santana 17, during a lunchtime attack. Lopez also is accused of stabbing a dean and another student who attempted to restrain him.

If the proposal is approved, the district would hire a coordinator and train a teacher or staff member on school campuses to help students identify when they may be veering toward physical, emotional or verbal abuse and to raise awareness of these issues.

Zimmer said the program could cost about $2 million.

Patricia Giggans, executive director of Peace Over Violence, the nonprofit group that already has programs in some district schools and worked closely with Zimmer on the resolution, said the anti-dating violence program could offer students a knowledgeable adult to turn to if problems arise.

She said dating violence is becoming increasingly widespread. She cited government research that her group assembled: About one in three adolescent girls in the U.S. has been physically, emotionally or verbally abused by a dating partner, and one in 10 high school students has been hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend. Giggans said teaching young people early the warning signs of an abusive relationship — and the tools to develop safe ones — will help set the course for healthy relationships in the future.

Dating problems, she said, have become more serious, with the types of abuse seen in much older couples becoming more common among high school students.

Giggans said that when she began working to prevent dating violence about 15 years ago, she took her message of building healthy relationships to a high school, believing that the students could apply the advice in college and beyond.

After she finished the talk, however, a few of the young women approached her. One told her that her boyfriend had forced her to wear his varsity jacket. When she refused, he had a flash of rage. Is that abuse, she asked?

And another: When the girl didn't call her boyfriend at 7 p.m., he rushed to her house and pounded on the door as her family ate dinner, upsetting her mother. How about that?

Giggans was stunned; she was too late.

That experience prompted Peace Over Violence to begin its education programs much earlier — in seventh grade.

On a recent morning, Trina Greene, manager of Peace Over Violence's Start Strong program, faced a class at Berendo Middle School in Pico-Union and dived into matters of love and control.

She took students through an exercise in which they had to decide whether to leave a relationship. Under one scenario, a girl pinched a boy for looking at another girl. The students said they would end the relationship. But when she bought him a gold chain for his birthday, a number of them wavered, saying they might stay.

Jessica Contreras, a recent West Adams Preparatory High School graduate, said programs like these will make a difference. She said she wished she had learned more about healthy relationships before she ended up in an abusive one.

She was 14, her then-boyfriend was 18. He started pulling her away from her family and friends. He put her down, telling her she was worthless. "One day," she said, "he almost hit me. And that kind of scared me, but I thought it was my fault."

When she returned to school one day and saw him with another girl, she told him off, and he slapped her. The relationship ended. But for almost a year afterward, she said, "I couldn't smile, I couldn't do anything…. I didn't know what to think or how to feel."

Contreras, now 18, is raising her 1-year-old son from another relationship. With counseling and help from programs like Peace Over Violence, she said, she knows how to define boundaries in a relationship and stand up for herself.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-schools-dating-20111011,0,6174389,print.story

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Gov. signs bills expanding drug users' access to sterile syringes

The first bill, SB41, written by Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), allows people to buy syringes at pharmacies without a prescription. California was one of the few states where this was illegal, other than a few pilot program areas.

The second bill, introduced by Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), allows the state to authorize needle exchange programs in areas deemed high risk for the spread of disease.

As the bill made its way to the governor's desk, the issue was playing out in real-time in Fresno, which has one of the highest rates of IV drug use in the country.

In September, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors voted to back away from a plan to legalize a longtime needle exchange even though county health officials warned that new infections of HIV and hepatitis C were climbing.

Dr. Marc Lasher, who runs a free medical clinic in conjunction with the Fresno needle exchange, vowed to continue the program despite the county's ban.

"We're legal again!" Lasher said Monday. "This allows us to do what's right health-wise for our patients and our community, and we'll never have to ask permission ever again from the Board of Supervisors."

The League of California Cities and some police organizations opposed the measure, saying it was taking away local control.

In his signing message, Brown said he is directing health officials to implement the law in a "constrained way, working closely not only with local health officers and police chiefs, but with neighborhood associations as well."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/

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From Google News

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SF Chief: Force "Find Your Chi"

The few San Francisco police officers who do not yet have the proper balance to conduct community policing will "find their Chi," according to Chief Greg Suhr

In San Francisco, policing the streets isn't just about keeping citizens safe and bad guys on the run or behind bars. It's also about balancing police officers' inner energies.

Balance and harmony are on San Francisco police Chief Greg Suhr's mind as the department unveils a new community-friendlier policing model, according to the San Francisco Examiner.

Community policing -- a newfangled term meaning more foot beats, more interaction with citizens and less cruising in patrol cars -- is now official SFPD policy, and cops who may be "less gregarious" and less-inclined to engage the citizenry will "find their Chi," Suhr told the Board of Supervisors last week.

"There are an ocean of San Francisco officers... that conduct themselves exactly like this [community policing model tells them to do]. And for them this is not a change on how they will do the day-to-day business," Suhr told the Board of Supervisors' Public Safety Committee, according to The Examiner. "There are other officers who may be less engaging, or less gregarious than some other officers and this is going to have to make them try and find their Chi, if you will, to raise the bar."

Community-based policing -- whatever it means, exactly -- has been an issue in San Francisco for some time now, and was the focus of a ballot measure that lost at the Nov. 2010 polls.

Suhr issued a general order in the SFPD last week that informed all that community policing has arrived, drawing praise from city legislators.

Once all SF cops find that elusive Chi, that is.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/politics/SF-Cops-Told-To-Find-Their-Chi-By-Their-Chief-131478258.html

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Maryland

New Carrollton to get new police officer to patrol city schools

New Carrollton will add a new officer to its police department who will be stationed in the city's five public schools, thanks to a federal grant.

New Carrollton was the only Prince George's County police department awarded money this year through the U.S. Department of Justice's Community Oriented Policing Services Hiring Program grant. The city received about $214,000 to bring on an extra police officer whose salary and benefits are funded for three years.

New Carrollton Police Chief David G. Rice applied for the grant to have a second designated officer visit each of the city's five schools daily with the ultimate goal of getting students better acquainted and more trusting of law enforcement, Rice said.

"We're 24-hour coverage and we're doing our own detective stuff now," Rice said. "It's a lot. This [new] person would go into patrol and help out with the [city] schools."
Currently there is one officer specifically assigned for local school work, but the remaining officers rotate on patrol duty near the schools, Rice said. The assigned officer goes to PTA meetings and back to school nights to build relationships with staff and students. There are five public schools in New Carrollton's city limits: Carrollton Elementary, Charles Carroll Middle, Lamont Elementary, Margaret Brent Regional and Robert Frost Elementary schools.

New Carrollton's 24-7 force has 16 officers including Rice and the city will retain the officer beyond the third year, said Capt. William Everts. The city's department is currently exploring its options for a new officer such as mining the Prince George's Community College Police Academy graduation scheduled for Wednesday.
Maryland received a total of $1.3 million in grant funding for the Annapolis, New Carrollton and Pocomoke's police departments. This was New Carrollton's first COPS grant and third year applying for it, Rice said.

This year's 2,712 applicants were judged on their plans and partnerships for community policing and how an additional officer would help such as tackling gang violence for example, said Corey Ray, a COPS spokesman.

Other county departments that applied but did not receive funding were Bowie State University, Colmar Manor, District Heights, Edmonston and Greenbelt, said Corey Ray, a COPS spokesman. A total of 34 state agencies applied. There were $2 billion in requests but only $243 million available, Ray said.

http://www.gazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111010/NEWS/710109995/1124/1124/new-carrollton-to-get-new-police-officer-to-patrol-city-schools&&template=PrinterFriendlygaz

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From the Department of Justice

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Attorney General Holder Delivers Remarks at the Annual National Organization of Black Law Enforcement (NOBLE) Executives Dinner

Thank you, Chief [Eugene] Williams, for your kind words, for your warm welcome – and, of course, for your outstanding leadership in one of the finest police forces – in one of the greatest cities – in this country.

It is a pleasure to be part of this annual celebration. And I am honored to stand with you – and with NOBLE members from federal, state, and local law enforcement organizations throughout the Chicago area, including every member of the Chicago Chapter's executive board and committee. Without question, I am in good company – and grateful to be among so many old friends and essential partners.

Throughout my career, I've had the opportunity to work with many of you – including my dear friend Terry Hillard and Chicago's talented new Police Chief, Garry McCarthy, as well as Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez and Cook County Sherriff's Police Chief Dewayne Holbrook – and with NOBLE leaders and members across the country. In fact, this organization was established the very same year – in 1976 – that I graduated from law school, started my first job as an attorney at the Department of Justice, and witnessed – in a way I hadn't before – the disparities and divisions that NOBLE members have worked for more than three decades to address and overcome.

Over the last 35 years, as this organization has grown from a small band of concerned, frustrated, and, ultimately, hopeful law enforcement executives, it has become an increasingly influential voice. I have seen firsthand how – by opening new doors of opportunity and encouraging diversity in police departments and law enforcement agencies nationwide – you have helped to strengthen an entire profession. And – as your mission has broadened to encompass a wide range of efforts designed to build relationships with the citizens you serve; to promote civic engagement among a new generation of officers; and to help our nation's young people achieve their dreams and break free of the destructive cycle of guns, gangs, and drugs – you have pressed communities across the country toward progress.

Your work has helped to transform entire agencies and departments – and improved countless lives. And your service is essential in helping the Justice Department fulfill its most fundamental mission: to protect the American people – from terrorism and violent crime, from fraud and abuse, and from those who would take advantage of the most vulnerable among us.

Of course, fulfilling these responsibilities has never been more difficult. That's true here in Chicago and in cities nationwide. But despite today's unprecedented budget challenges, growing demands, and increasingly sophisticated threats – extraordinary progress is being made in advancing the goals and responsibilities we share.

At every level of the Justice Department, we understand that our ongoing success will depend on how well we support – and effectively partner with – law enforcement agencies, as well as advocacy groups like NOBLE. Tomorrow's progress will depend on our ability – through initiatives like the COPS hiring program and President Obama's proposed American Jobs Act – to save and create first responder jobs; to develop information sharing platforms and strategies for keeping law enforcement officers safe; and to invest in the innovative tools that all of you need to fulfill your critical duties.

That's why – in addition to celebrating all that you and your colleagues have achieved in the last year – I am also here to reaffirm the Justice Department's commitment to encouraging diversity across our ranks; and to supporting you – and all of our law enforcement partners – in every way possible.

This is not merely a professional obligation. It is a personal priority.

Exactly two years ago – on October 7 th , 2009 – I traveled to Chicago with Education Secretary [Arne] Duncan to meet with students, parents, and local officials still reeling from the horrific beating death of a high school student named Derrion Albert – an incident that I'm sure you remember all too well.

We came here to mourn with those affected by this unspeakable tragedy, to reiterate the Administration's commitment to eradicating youth violence, and – most importantly – to ensure that this community's voice was heard at the highest levels of our government.

Of course, since that day – in this city, and in countless others across the country – we have seen far too many young people fall victim to similar acts of senseless violence. But, over the same period, thanks to determined advocates and critical allies like you – and because of robust new programs and partnerships like the Justice Department's Youth Violence Prevention Initiative and our Defending Childhood Initiative – we've also seen a renewed determination to turn back this rising tide.

This isn't just our duty as law enforcement officials. It is our moral calling as Americans – one that NOBLE members proudly answer every day.

Especially here in Chicago, I applaud the strong commitment that NOBLE has demonstrated in rallying local leaders to take ownership of community problems; in acting not only as role models, but as mentors, for young people and aspiring officers with the desire to succeed; and by awarding scholarships to help create the opportunities that all of our children deserve. This evening, as we gather to celebrate the successes of the past year – and to pay tribute to three exemplary colleagues whose absences are acutely felt tonight – each of us must pledge to take these efforts to the next level.

Each of us must reaffirm our allegiance to the sacred principles – of respect; of uncompromising integrity; of the importance of accountability, the power of community, the value of diversity, and the need for greater opportunity – that have guided NOBLE since its inception – and that defined the lives, and distinguished the careers, of the extraordinary officers we remember tonight.

In fact, one of those leaders, Fred Rice, was among the visionaries who founded this organization, back in 1976, during an urban crime symposium in Washington, DC.

From the day he began his career in law enforcement, Fred recognized both the value and the obstacles of diversifying our nation's police departments – and, as he rose through the ranks to become the first permanent black Superintendent of the Chicago PD, he proved that this city's streets are safer when we strive for equity in the administration of justice, and draw strength from the talents and contributions of every member of our society.

Superintendent Rice's passing, in January, was a tremendous loss to the organization he helped to build, the police department he served with distinction, and the communities he fought so hard to improve. And, although we miss him tonight, I am proud to say that – in the efforts that each of us has sworn to carry forward, and in the work of every officer who puts on that checkered service cap every day – his legacy remains very much alive.

So, too, do the memories of Michael Flisk and Paul Nauden – two dedicated Chicago Police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty, and for whom we reserve a special place of honor here tonight.

Last November, Officer Flisk was fatally shot while collecting evidence from the scene of a burglary. And just a few months ago, in May, Officer Nauden suffered a heart attack while helping to conduct an important narcotics investigation.

Each of these men exemplified what it means to be not only an upstanding member of the community, but a remarkable public servant – and both were taken from us far too soon. So, this evening, as we pause to mark their passing, honor their contributions, and look toward the future of the department – and the community – that they served with such passion, let us do more than reflect on the empty seats at our dinner table, and the empty place in our hearts.

Let us redouble our efforts to protect the brave men and women who served alongside them, and to support their loved ones – and the families of all who wear a badge. And let us strengthen our resolve to use every tool at our disposal – and every resource we can bring to bear – to reduce and eliminate the threats our nation's officers face.

As the brother of a retired police officer, I understand the risks that you take every day. And, all too often, I've seen the profound sacrifices that you and your families are asked to make.

That's why my colleagues and I will never stop fighting for you. Through new programs and partnerships like the Officer Safety Initiative – and with significant, strategic investments in numerous officer safety programs, including our Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program as well as the VALOR initiative that we launched last fall – the Justice Department is making good on our solemn promise to stand with law enforcement officers at every level.

But all of this is only the beginning. And just as NOBLE members throughout this area and across the country have invested their time and resources in the communities they serve, and in the young people they strive to protect – know that our nation's Justice Department will continue to make significant investments in you.

In safeguarding our children, improving our communities, opening new doors of opportunity, and protecting those who put their lives on the line to keep this city safe, let me assure you that NOBLE has no stronger ally than the Department of Justice – and no closer friend than this Attorney General.

Just as surely as I will continue to rely on your dedication and contributions, I will always be grateful for your service – and will always be very proud to count you as partners.

Thank you.

http://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/ag/speeches/2011/ag-speech-111007.html

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