The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Gang Prevention Coalition

In May 2007, a group of concerned agency representatives met to discuss a community-based response to the needs of youth who were gang involved.  This meeting was called by Area Mental Health and included representatives from Alexander Youth Network, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department/Gang of One, Carolinas Medical Center-Randolph, Council for Children’s Rights, Department of Social Services/Youth & Family Services, and The Keys of Carolina.  This group began meeting regularly, grew its membership, and agreed to work collaboratively to address gangs.  The Gang Prevention Coalition was established.

In November 2007, members of the Gang Prevention Coalition adapted the following mission statement: To develop and implement a community-based, comprehensive plan to prevent youth gangs.  In January, 14 Coalition members visited Richmond, VA to meet with staff of the Gang Reduction Intervention and Prevention (GRIP) program.  GRIP is a nationally-recognized, best practice program housed in the Office of the State Attorney General.  In February 2008, 9 Coalition members visited Raleigh, NC to meet with staff of Wake County Gang Prevention Partnership (WCGPP).  WCGPP is a federally recognized, promising practice program housed in the Public Health Office of Wake County. 

In May 2008, over 40 Coalition members participated in a 2-day Strategic Planning Retreat facilitated by the Institute for Law and Justice.  Outcomes of this retreat included a statement of shared values, vision, and new mission statement: to partner with the community to eliminate gangs through collaboration, training, and technical assistance.

In January 2009, the Coalition adopted a Strategic Plan.  This plan included implementation of Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Comprehensive Gang Reduction Model to address gangs in Mecklenburg County.  This approach is the result of national research (Spergel, 1995) and includes the components of (1) Primary Prevention; (2) Secondary Prevention; (3) Intervention; (4) Suppression and (5) Reentry.   This plan was presented to Board of County Commissioners and City Council in March.

In April 2009, the Gang Prevention Coalition initiated a Request for Proposal (RFP) process for “Community Impact Projects” in two designated community areas.  The number of community areas was limited in order to focus projects on sustainable grassroots work, with demonstrable results, that could be replicated in other community areas in the future.  Idlewild South and Starmount Forest were selected utilizing data from the 2008 Neighborhood Quality of Life Index and GangNet Data.  Additionally, areas selected for the Neighborhood Liaison Program were prioritized.  Selection criteria included a high concentration of gang contacts and incidences, at risk quality of life, geographic reference point (DSS, P&R, CMS, DJJDP, CMPD), Project Safe Neighborhoods/Weed and Seed Corridors, and Education (academic component).  The long-term goal is to make grants available to other communities in the future.

Comprehensive Model for Gang Violence Reduction

The goal of the Comprehensive Model for Gang Violence Reduction, implemented in 2006, is to reduce gang violence and crime through integrated prevention, intervention, suppression, and re-entry strategies coordinated by Gang of One in partnership with local citizens and agencies, and local, state and federal law enforcement.