What Works Summit


On January 23rd of this year, The Center for Collaborative Change hosted a Summit to address Newark’s lack of trust between the police force and the community it serves. The Summit was the culmination of years of efforts at enabling key community stakeholders such as government agencies, private or corporate foundations, and our fellow nonprofits, to better target, design and align their efforts to address what the city has expressed as one of its most pressing needs.

 

Download a summary of the day’s presentations by expert practitioners and researchers from around the country.  More information about the day’s events, including the program, press release and photos, can be found here.

 

The Summit has catalyzed subsequent efforts related to police-community relations. Newark Police Director Samuel DeMaio explains:

“At the Summit, Greater Newark LISC presented a Philadelphia case study from its national Community Safety Initiative model that builds partnerships between law enforcement, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders in order to increase safety in a targeted area. Subsequently, NPD partnered with LISC to bring the Community Safety Initiative to Newark and are forming three teams that will engage in analysis of neighborhood crime concerns and then embark on collaborative problem-solving to craft and then implement strategies to reduce crime, spur investment and build collective efficacy in Newark neighborhoods.

 Also, Newark Community Solutions (NCS) presented on its Community Court, which is the first in New Jersey, and other programs that work to connect low-level offenders with services that are already available, thus reducing recidivism. NCS is now working around the Market Street Police Substation to work with the high number of residents in need of social services with appropriate services. NCS’s Newark Youth Court is now working with Newark Police staff to revisit our existing stationhouse adjustment policy and is conduct- ing Youth Court information sessions for Police Department staff.”

 

You can read Director DeMaio’s full letter that details these efforts and more in the introduction of our white paper that summarizes the days events, it has been published and is available for download. Also be sure to check out our Summit introduction video outlining the issue, and keep an eye out for more content from the summit. Videos of the event will soon to be uploaded to the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice Events Page.

 

 

Event Partners and Sponsors:

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Future Summits

The idea for the What Works Summit was to make this an annual event, each year focusing on an issue local stakeholders seek solutions for, and fostering a reputation of Newark as a leader in urban revitalization through thoughtful development, identification, tailoring and implementation of best practices. These Summits will provide the opportunity to determine not simply a solution, but rather, the best solution for Newark and our partnering urban communities. Anyone who would like to borrow the branding and/or collaborative to host a What Works Summit on another topic, please contact us.

Background: THE CENTER FEATURED IN BRICK CITY!

Check out this clip from Brick City, Season 2 (episode 4) that features the Center’s work in community-police relations!

Also,  check out this clip from the amazing local talent — Ill Matic Force — who choreographed an original dance piece on Community-Police Relations for our first anniversary celebration in 2010:

 

Download the Summit Invitation for Printing