SITE OVERVIEW ♦ CORNING | CALIFORNIA
Target Area: The Corridor • Population: 2,300
Fiscal Agent: The Everett Freeman Initiative
Research Partner: Center for Evaluation and Research, LLC
Crime Concerns: Gang-related violence, drug-related violence, and juvenile delinquency
BCJI Funding Year: 2013 Planning & Implementation
Neighborhood Profile
The Corning-Paskenta Tribal Community is a contiguous 3.4 mile area that joins the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians and the City of Corning in Tehama County. Though the area is rich in Native American and Hispanic cultures, it is confronted with immense individual, familial, and community needs resulting in high levels of crime – the target area accounts for over 90% of crime in the community at large. In 2012, over 13,000 of the 14,148 calls for service to the Corning Police Department were generated from within the target area, called the Corridor. Property and violent crimes in this area are significantly higher than California statewide average. There are also high levels of poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, and gang affiliation. A 2013 survey associated with a Department of Education Promise Planning grant found that students at a local middle and high schools did not attend school more days than the national average because they felt unsafe traveling to and from school or while attending school. In addition to safety concerns within schools, incidents of youth crime have increased. Focus groups with teens revealed a belief that drugs and alcohol are easy to obtain, both within the neighborhood and at school.
Planning Process
The planning process for the Corning BCJI project engaged multiple stakeholders including community residents, local businesses, the City of Corning personnel and council members, the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indian Tribe, and other government, non-profit, and faith-based organizations. The project’s planning process was an extension of the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indian Tribe’s Promise Neighborhood Planning Grant and Expect More Tehama, a county-wide education reform initiative. Throughout the process, a variety of meetings were held such as quarterly community forums sponsored by Expect More Tehama where issues related to health and education brought together hundreds of residents; regular meetings of the cross-sectional Leadership Team comprised of county and school districts’ superintendents, criminal justice leaders, tribal representatives, and the county mental and public health director; monthly meetings with research partners and city officials; a half-day community forum specifically designed to engage the business and faith communities in the data analysis and planning process; and numerous one-to-one and small group meetings with community leaders.
The strength of the project was the inclusion of stakeholders representing every sector of the target area. Over 400 individuals participated in CBCR planning meetings and in the larger Expect More Tehama and Promise Neighborhood gatherings. There was representation from students, parents, business members, health providers, social service workers, educators, pastors, criminal justice leaders, and other community members.
Stakeholders were engaged in every step of the planning process. They were involved in the need assessment process directly through completing surveys and participating in interviews. Stakeholders were also involved in analyzing the findings from the assessments and by providing input into the development of research-based solutions.
Implementation Strategies
In December 2014, the Corning BCJI partnership was the first Fiscal Year 2013 CBCR site to have its implementation plan approved. The plan highlighted four main strategies:
- Hot spot policing. Since implementation began in 2015, the Corning Police Department has used the research findings to target their presence at identified hot spots including schools, at locations on the business corridor, and at a high density apartment complex. In addition to increased patrols, an apartment in the largest housing complex has been renovated to serve as a community “safety center,” which serves as a central place of contact for residents. School resource officers have also been placed on the high school campus, not only for increased police visibility, but also to aid in building relationships with the youth of the community.
- Children and youth prevention and primary intervention. The project has worked directly with local education providers to provide a range of services to at-risk children and youth including expanded access to after-school academic, enrichment, dietary, and physical fitness programs. In addition, BCJI leaders have developed a restorative justice program for first time offenders.
Efforts have been promoted and highlighted by Expect More Tehama and the site’s sister initiative, Promise Neighborhood, which have collectively engaged over three hundred community members through large and small scale events. This reflects the CBCR team’s commitment to ongoing, robust community involvement in safety activities.
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