Community of Practice
A Presentation on the Watts Safe Passage Program
Monday, December 9th 2013
1:00-4:00 pm


Across the 14 Building Healthy Community sites and throughout the state of California, residents, organizers, and land use planners influence decisions on how physical space and natural resources are used.  Whether it’s housing, parks, community gardens, bike lanes, corner markets, sidewalks, or open space, these decisions have a huge impact on the overall health of communities.

Please join us for a videoconference/conference call on health-promoting land use hosted by Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) and PolicyLink. This meeting is in response to feedback from the 2012 BHC Convening and is designed to create a space where grantees, community stakeholders and others can learn, share and be informed on the land use issues and practices that are most pertinent to your work.

We encourage you join the Community of Practice by video conference at the following locations:

Los Angeles TCE Office
1000 N. Alameda Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90012
3rd fl, Room 359

San Diego TCE Office
5060 Shoreham Place, Suite 350, San Diego, CA 92122
San Diego Conference Room

Fresno TCE Office
2440 Tulare Street, Suite 420, Fresno, CA 93721
Sonora Conference Room

Oakland TCE Office
1111 Broadway, 7th Floor, Oakland, CA 94607
Bayview Conference Room

Sacramento TCE Office
1414 K Street, 5th fl. Sacramento, CA 95814
Change Conference Room

We have also arranged to have a conference call line.
Conference Call Number: 1-877-240-6337
Pass Code: #818-932-3292

Deadline to RSVP is December 1, 2013

      Please RSVP to Jackie Cornejo (jcornejo@laane.org)

About Watts Safe Passage Program
With technical assistance from The Advancement Project’s Urban Peace program, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) created the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) program in Watts and East LA in Los Angeles. CSP is the community’s and the public sectors’ bold attempt toward a comprehensive solution to gang violence in four public housing developments of  Imperial Courts, Jordan Downs, Nickerson Gardens, and Ramona Gardens. A key element of CSP is a partnership with schools and community in implementing a comprehensive Safe Passages program.

In addition to schools, CSP partners with The City of Los Angeles’ Office of Gang Reduction & Youth Development’s Community Gang Intervention Workers. As part of the Safe Passages initiative, GRYD employs community members and the Advancement Project Urban Peace trains them as Safe Passages workers to compliment the CSP’s community policing efforts.

More on the Presenters
As Urban Peace Policy Manager for the Advancement Project, Jamecca Marshall provided technical assistance to public sector and community stakeholders around forwarding three (3) key policy goals:

 1.  Make Watts Safe Passage initiative effective by first conducting community-engaged hotspot and safe routes mapping that includes continuous youth and parent input to inform program implementation.
 2.  Increase effectiveness of existing Safe Passages initiatives by supporting formalized structure and funding for a multi-sector collaborative effort that includes parents, schools and law enforcement.
 3.  Create a cultural shift around school security that formally recognizes an on-campus role for community experts and gang interventionists with youth and an off-campus role for administrators security personnel with parents and community stakeholders.

Elder Michael Cummings, also known as "Big Mike," has led Community Safe Passages at Jordan High schools for 13 years, where he walks students to and from David Starr Jordan High School Educational Complex. Elder Mike’s role to ensure youth are without fear of harassment or violence. As a Gang Interventionist and a member of the Urban Peace Academy’s Professional Standard Committee, Elder Mike can discuss how his years on the streets as a former gang member and his experience within the criminal justice system help him establish the trust and credibility necessary to engage youth and families in the community he serves.

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Hosted by Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) and PolicyLink.
This meeting is in response to feedback from the 2012 BHC Convening and is designed to create a space where grantees, community stakeholders and others can learn, share and be informed on the land use issues and practices that are most pertinent to your work.