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Hope and Harmony, All of Us Together: How Seven Native American Tribes Reduced Crime and Violence

NCJ Number
186730
Date Published
2001
Length
66 pages
Annotation
To help combat the rising crime rates in Indian country, the Federal Government allocated funding to implement a strategic planning process at seven tribal sites ("Tribal Strategies Against Violence"); this document is designed to help other sovereign Native American nations implement a similar strategic planning process in their communities.
Abstract
Chapter 1 addresses the need for strategic planning and reviews some of the challenges to starting a Tribal Strategies Against Violence (TSAV) in Indian country. It advises that TSAV is not a program but rather a process of planning that leads to action that can make neighborhoods safer and less fearful, enhance the use of government and community resources, promote prevention, improve quality of life for residents, and produce innovative solutions to persistent problems. Chapter 2 details the steps in a comprehensive planning process and the roles that community members play in the process. Chapter 3 examines how the sites overcame these hurdles to move forward in creating safer communities and improving quality of life. Chapter 4 profiles the sites that participated in TSAV. The problems most common among the sites were related to incidents of alcohol and drug abuse, drunk driving, family violence, and juvenile delinquency and neglect. The prevalence of youth-related crime was especially troublesome and became the focus of most prevention efforts implemented by the tribes. Chapter 5 shares the lessons learned and provides the reader with what the sites identified as ingredients for success. The end result for these sites was learning to identify and coordinate many undiscovered, unexplored, or underused resources for reducing crime. The TSAV process helped them coordinate activities, better align resources, leverage mutually supportive actions, and track and celebrate results. A list of 39 resources and appended sample work plan, sample memoranda of understanding, and sample curfew ordinance and zero tolerance alcohol ordinance