SITE OVERVIEW ♦ SAN BERNARDINO | CALIFORNIA
Target Area: Central San Bernardino • Population: 210,000 (city)
Fiscal Agent: Institute for Public Strategies
Research Partner: Dr. Robert Nash Parker, University of California Riverside (UCR)
Crime Concerns: Gang-related violence and violent crimes
BCJI Funding Year: 2012 Planning & Implementation
Neighborhood Profile
San Bernardino is located in the eastern portion of the Los Angeles Basin, about sixty miles from downtown Los Angeles. This entire area is highly urbanized and densely populated with residents primarily of African American and Hispanic/Latino descent. In addition, housing costs are 47 percent lower than the rest of the state which has made the city a viable destination for those seeking a more affordable area. Over the past two decades, there has also been an influx of gang members from Los Angeles.
Central San Bernardino has been identified by city officials not only as one of the most violent areas the city, but also as one of the most transient – it has twice the number of crimes than other comparable high-crime areas surrounding the city and over 90 percent of residences are occupied by renters with the average length of occupancy estimated to be one year. The initial assessment of the target area revealed that there are two major types of hot spots: crime-infested multi-family housing units and alcohol outlets. Overall, San Bernardino has an over-saturation of alcohol outlets – twice the concentration recommended by the California Alcohol and Beverage Control.
Planning Process
Planning for the BCJI project took place during monthly meetings of The Drug Free San Bernardino Coalition in 2013, coordinated by the Institute for Public Strategies. Membership of this group includes city officials, representatives from law enforcement, education, health service, prevention agencies, faith community, neighborhood associations and parents. Topics of these meetings included how to conduct a survey of local residents to determine their perceptions of crime-related problems, their degree of victimization and the level of collective efficacy in the target area. Meetings with police and code enforcement focused on hot spot locations were criminal activity was most prevalent, e.g. apartment communities, alcohol outlets, vacant housing. Other issues such as the underlying causes of crime, the prevalence of gang-related activity, methods of engaging local residents and coordinating activities with other agencies and community partners, were also discussed as part of the planning process. Notable findings from the planning phase include:
- Gangs have been migrating to San Bernardino since the late 1990s
- Local alcohol outlets play a role in facilitating crime, as most drug deals and other illicit activities take place in the immediate vicinity of these businesses
- There is a high truancy rate which contributes to low levels of academic attainment
- Many parolees and probationers live in the area and it is difficult for them to obtain employment
- A GIS (Geographic Information System) analysis revealed that there are crime clusters near Baseline Street where King Tut Liquors is located and near the corner of Baseline and Sepulveda streets where many apartment complexes are located
- The majority of residents indicated that public use of drugs was a severe problem in the area
Implementation Strategies
As a result of the planning phase, BCJI partners selected to move forward with the following strategies aimed to reduce criminal activity in hot spots and build collective efficacy among residents:
- Problematic Businesses/Alcohol Outlets: Interventions to address crime around alcohol outlets have included outreach to owners and/or managers of problem properties to provide consultation and training on responsible business practices. BCJI partners also work with police and the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to collaborate on enforcement operations to be conducted at the targeted sites. Local leaders have also worked to develop a stronger Deemed Approved Ordinance, modeling work on an Oakland effort examined through BCJI technical assistance.
- Apartment Complexes and Vacant Properties: Crime Free Multi-Housing (CFMH) strategies targeted problematic apartment complexes while the team also pursued strategies to promote stronger code enforcement and acquisition of vacant properties.
- Law Enforcement: Hot spot policing sought to reduce disorder and spur greater presence in problem locations.
- Collective Efficacy: Efforts to build collective efficacy focused on strengthening the supportive relationships within a neighborhood (cohesion) and linking the community to resources (connectivity).
As part of their project, San Bernardino established the Neighborhood Transformation Collaborative (NTC) in 2015. The primary focus of the NTC is to align and leverage resources to create a healthy, sustainable, and equitable community in Central San Bernardino. Additionally, the BCJI project has helped transform a crime-prone vacant into a community garden with a mural. The impact of BCJI work is under assessment as the project wraps up in 2016.
Featuring this Site
- San Bernardino BCJI work is featured in this webinar about building collective will for crime prevention.
- Read highlights from San Bernardino’s presentation to BCJI leaders at a grantee meeting in this Institute for Comprehensive Community Development article.
- This profile of San Bernardino’s 2012 BCJI Planning & Implementation grant shows how the team overcame challenges that included a municipal bankruptcy and the political recall of supporters in City Hall, building new alliances to launch programs that have had long-lasting results.
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