Oakland to hire community outreach workers to fight crime

Oakland Crime Map
Originally uploaded by misstracyjo

(Oakland Crime Map Flickr image from the Community Incident Map generator. Uploaded by misstracyjo.)

DC1974 sends our way a link to a SF Chronicle article, "Dellums announces program to stem violence." From the article:

Mayor Ron Dellums said Saturday that the city plans to deploy 25 street outreach workers in Oakland's toughest neighborhoods in an effort to ease the violence that has claimed more than 90 lives this year.

Dellums, who made the announcement at a neighborhood block party in West Oakland, said the street outreach workers' job will be to steer Oakland youth away from crime and drugs and into recreation programs, education and jobs.

The workers will be hired from East and West Oakland and have experience in conflict mediation and social services, he said. Most important, Dellums said, they will have credibility that comes from living in the neighborhoods where they will do outreach.

"These are high-crime areas," Dellums said, speaking at DeFremery Park, where hundreds of families gathered for food, music and games. "We want young people who are indigenous to these communities to go out and resolve conflicts before they start. Crime and violence is a cry for help, and this is one way that we can help."