Domestic Violence Initiative in the Mayors Challenge

Our High Point Offender Focused Domestic Violence Initiative is a top twenty finalist for the Bloomberg Mayors Challenge.  The top prize is $5 million, with four other $1 million prizes awarded.  Our final application has been submitted and we should hear something in April.  Keep your fingers crossed.  This would be an incredible opportunity to share this innovative work around the country.

In the meantime the owner of the Huffington Post, Arianna Huffington, is launching a Fan Favorite contest.  Check out our video and vote for the High Point initiative, share it with family, friends, and everyone you know!

The voting began February 21The URL is www.huffingtonpost.com/mayors-challenge.

Voting  runs for two weeks – from February 20 through March 6 – and the Fan Favorite winner will be announced at approximately the same time as the five Mayors Challenge winners.  Note: you can only vote once and you do not need to register to vote.

The winning city will receive a $50K Services grant from IBM to support implementation as well as featured coverage and promotion from The Huffington Post, including a monthly front page column for its mayor for a year and an interview with Arianna Huffington on Huff Post Live (HuffPo’s video news platform).

This is our chance to showcase how innovative High Point is and get national recognition.  Let them hear us!   Vote and tell everyone you know to do the same!

2012 Crime Stats

High Point’s “Part 1” crime was down 12% for 2012. Part 1 includes: murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, larceny, auto theft and arson.  As we continue to work with local, state and national law enforcement agencies, our community partners and the people of High Point, we will continue to whittle away at violence in High Point.  2012 was a good year!

High Point’s Latest Stats

This graphic is the most recent analysis of violent crime trends in High Point.  As you can see, our crime rate has gone down 54%, while our population has risen 39%.  We are pleased that our community, working together with our law enforcement partners, is making our city a safer place for everyone to live and work.

 

High Point's 22 Yr Violent Crime Trend

1100 and counting

We did the math last week and since 1998, High Point Police Department, NC Probation and Parole and HP Community Against Violence have confronted 1109 individuals with our message to “Stop the Violence.”  We work in five areas and here is the numbers break down for each:

Repeat violent crime offenders:  975

Gang and robbery offenders:  15

Juvenile offenders:  24

Drug Market intervention offenders:  80

Domestic Violence offenders, our newest area:  15

Meanwhile, High Point’s population has grown 39% while our violent crime has gone down 54%.  Our rate of recidivism is approximately 10%.  That means about 90% of our offenders do not reoffend.

This means High Point is a safer place for everyone!

Life Construction Program

HPCAV is fortunate to be associated with a dedicated volunteer, Ed Kimsey.  Ed created the Life Construction Program, based on his 25 plus years of experience as a residential builder, and has partnered with the clients of HPCAV to make it a reality.

Per Ed, “The construction industry is full of people who struggle with the basics of life:  money management; addictions; lack of driver’s licenses; family problems; homelessness; the list goes on and on.  I began to visualize a program which would enable participants to learn a skill that would allow them the opportunity to better themselves at the ‘process of living.’  These are things that most people take for granted. I compare the concept to building a house “as with a life, one must begin building with a strong foundation.”

How did it all come together?  First, Ed had a great idea.  Then, a local bank offered a building lot opportunity.  Shortly after that, Ed guided some HPCAV clients in building a shed for the Southside Community Garden and saw both talent and a desire to work!  He realized he had potential construction workers for the house.  An interested individual agreed to lease with an option to purchase.  A loan was approved; the lot was purchased and construction of a home began in January, 2012.

The house is well underway as is the personal development of our workers!  Ed has noticed that the guys he is working with are taking pride – in their newly learned skills, in the home they are building and in themselves as contributing members of our community.

More opportunities are needed!  Lots are available for building, but we need buyers or donations to purchase the lots.
If you are interested in supporting this effort in some way, please contact Jim Summey at 336-870-1114.

A Week Later

One week after our first Offender Focused Domestic Violence Initiative “call in” or notification meeting and NONE of the twelve participants has re-offended!   Four have called the office and will be helped by Jim, moving on to more intensive counseling if they ask for it.

Also in the past week, four individuals whose prior offenses were so severe they were not given an opportunity to “hear the message” have been prosecuted.  Their sentences ranged from 14 months to 44 months.  This may not sound like much, but these sentences are two to four times LONGER than they would have been in the past.  Why?  Because our prosecutors and judges are very supportive of this effort and they are staying on top of it.

 

 

Domestic Violence Initiative Underway

High Point has a new violence reduction effort:  Offender Focused Domestic Violence Initiative.  Like our other efforts targeted at street level drug dealers and gang violence, this one is focused on offenders in domestic violence cases.

“How we address domestic violence as a community has changed,” said police Chief Jim Fealy.  “It’s not going to be tolerated.”

This initiative employs the same basic strategy, now known nationally as the High Point Model:

  • Study the data about our known domestic violence offenders;
  • Put on notice (through a call in) those who fit the criteria and tell them the violence must stop;
  • Offer encouragement to change and direction to resources as needed;
  • Stand with law enforcement to prosecute and remove from our city those who continue to offend.

Jim Summey, our Executive Director, told the initial group of 12, “We care about you, but it’s gotta stop.”  Bobby Davis, a founding member of HPCAV, reminded them, “There are no excuses.  You are responsible for your actions.”

Domestic violence is violence.  And it has to stop.

 

 

USA Today and News 2

The High Point Strategy was featured in a recent USA Today article about crime reduction efforts in Providence, Rhode Island.   News 2 picked up on it locally and did a nice story on our work, giving this more time than usually allotted on local news!

Thanks to Charles and Manila Dean and Deputy Chief Marty Sumner for their contributions to this story.

Put our shirt on.

We don’t want you to give us the shirt off your back – we want you to put one of our shirts ON your back!

Your purchase of one of our fundraising t-shirts – for just $10 – makes it possible for HPCAV to continue working to ensure High Point is a safe place for everyone.

We have adult sizes from small (Sm) to double extra large (2XL).  For details and purchase, call our office at 336-886-5723.

Thank you for your support!

Success in the Making

A recent Guilford Record article featured Eric Newman who was part of a group of individuals called in this past June.  He has been focused on turning his life around and is succeeding.

Eric has been very appreciative of the help HPCAV has given him.  Before he received a computer from school, he came in to use our computers.  Now he comes in to use our WiFi.  He brings his lunch and uses the microwave or refrigerator at our office.  He brings his own coffee and makes 1/2 pot everyday, always offering a cup to Jim and Patricia.

His next goal?  To move out of the shelter.    Eric shows every sign of being a success in the making – thanks to the help he has received from HP CAV and our supporters.