Community

Program in Marin City using community collaboration as crime prevention

Published

6 years ago

December 27, 2018

MARIN CITY, Calif. (KGO) —
A stunning drop in crime in one San Francisco Bay Area county is happening because of the vision of one woman who inspired her community. She pulled together a large coalition of services to create change, and, that change includes law enforcement.
The Phoenix Project in Marin County is Building a Better Bay Area.
The founder of the program is Felecia Gaston. She says one of the first young men to participate in the Phoenix Project is Shannon Bynum, Jr. She says he had been in and out of the legal system and it wasn’t for major crimes, but it was enough. He was on probation.
Shannon said that the Phoenix Project case managers wanted him to be on the right path when he turned 18. They asked him if he needed his record expunged– he said yes. Now, he doesn’t have any record at all of his past juvenile encounters with the law.
The Phoenix Project is located in the heart of the housing complex in Marin City, which means it’s easy to access. It acts as sort of a second family and connects them with a variety of services that allow them to move forward.
Founder Felecia Gaston says the services can be something small.
“I need my driver’s license, I need some clothing for a job interview. I need a bus pass to go to a doctor’s appointment.”
Gaston says the goal is “community collaboration as crime prevention”.
The Marin Housing Authority donates the office space at no charge. The Phoenix Project holds workshops to teach young men everything from how to fill out an application for a job, the importance of keeping a job, how to dress for success, and good manners. ABC7 News’ Cheryl Jennings was proud to participate in one of the first mentoring classes.
The Chief of the Marin County Probation Department, Mike Daly, said, “The Phoenix Project has been a total success. Felecia Gaston is a hero. She has almost single-handedly been responsible for decreasing the amount of people on probation in the community, as well as helping people while they’re on probation in the community.”
But, it wasn’t easy to get the Phoenix Project accepted. The Chief Public Defender, Jose Varela, says he recalls a meeting in which he and Cheryl Jennings participated nine or 10 years ago.
“When people were very pessimistic about whether any change could come to Marin City. I’m glad we’re here to say yes, the statistics bear out that there’s been change in Marin City.”
There are statistics from the Marin County Adult Probation Department which show a steady drop in the number of people on probation, adults and juveniles.
Things were drastically different in 2009 according to Gaston.
“Crime was on the rise, assaults, vandalism, robberies at the bus stop. It was important to pull together a team and say, what can we do to help? And law enforcement said we want to help, we want to be involved.”
Darrell Roary, a case manager with the Public Defender’s office, says people in the community came together at the request of Felecia Gaston. They created a survey to find out what the young men in the community needed.
The survey revealed that a lot of services were needed. So, a collaboration was formed with many community partners who are working every day to help Phoenix Project participants become successful.
Roary was among the first key liaisons between the Phoenix Project, the community and law enforcement.
Gaston said Darrell and two other men who lived in Marin City had been in the system and had changed their lives around, for over 10 years and became outreach workers and mentors.
Roary said, “I try to take my experiences, the things I’ve gone through and then now reach back and help others who are going some of the same things.”
Gaston says the caseworkers check in with the juveniles and adults on a regular basis asking them how they’re doing, keeping them going with encouragement, a lot of moral support, nurturing, a lot of mentoring.
The work is so impressive, that Roary and other outreach workers have been hired by the county probation department. It’s part of a movement called “Restorative Justice.”
Mike Daly, Chief of Adult Probation in Marin County, says his department offers services which supplement those of the Phoenix Project such as cognitive behavioral training and treatment, to change behavior, plus drug and alcohol classes, anger management classes and domestic violence classes.
Those who successfully complete their probation are acknowledged on a “Wall of Change ” in the Probation Department.
Daly says his department takes restorative justice even further by offering job training.
“We have a nice construction program going in Marin City that gives people real jobs.”
Shannon Bynum, Jr., one of the original Phoenix Project members, is now a father of three and is a highly regarded apprentice at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Novato. The company has very strict rules for its employees, according to Operations Manager John Rossi.
“No felonies, drug free, no misdemeanors for seven years, clean driving record, no DUI’s. I don’t know too much about the program. But I can tell you that if they helped Shannon guide his way to where he is today, they did a very good job because he’s a model employee and he’s great to work with.”
Bynum says he feels he is a better father and better man thanks to the Phoenix Project.
And the founder of the Phoenix Project, Felecia Gaston, says she is “super proud” of all the success stories. She says it’s a benefit for the entire county and the community. She says it’s prevention at its best.
One final note– the Phoenix Project collaboration helps at least 150 people a month in Marin City, on a budget of just $250,000 a year. Compare that to the cost of incarcerating just one person for nearly $50,000 a year.
See original story at ABC7 News

ABC7 News’ Cheryl Jennings

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City Government

San Pablo Appoints New Economic Development and Housing Manager

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo. Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Published

15 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Kieron Slaughter. Photo courtesy of the City of San Pablo

The Richmond Standard

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo.

Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Before that he was an associate planner in the City of Richmond’s Planning and Building Services Department from 2007-2015.

San Pablo City Manager Matt Rodriguez lauded Slaughter’s extensive experience in economic development, housing and planning, saying he will add a “valuable perspective to the City Manager’s Office.”

Slaughter, a Berkeley resident, will start in his new role on Nov. 12, with a base annual salary of $164,928, according to the City of San Pablo.

Oakland Post

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City Government

Aaron Osorio Rises Up Ranks to Become Richmond’s Fire Chief

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10. “I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.” Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Published

15 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Richmond Fire Department Chief Aaron Osorio. Courtesy photo

By Mike Kinney

The Richmond Standard

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10.

“I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.”

Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Osorio is a San Francisco native who rose up the ranks in the Richmond Fire Department over the last 21 years before being elevated to chief.

He joined the department in 2002 and has served in multiple roles including firefighters, engineer, captain, battalion chief, training director and deputy fire chief. He said he truly loves working in this community.

While it isn’t common for a fire department to hire a chief that came up through its ranks, Osorio was credited by the city for serving Richmond well during uncommon times.

The city lauded him for developing internal policies and vaccination clinics during the initial COVID response, for supporting activation of the emergency operations center in response to a potential mudslide disaster in Seacliff last year, helping to draft mutual aid agreements and working to increase fire response capabilities for industrial incidents.

He’s also led departmental hiring and recruitment since 2018.

Osorio said it is an honor to be hired as chief and has big plans for the department moving forward. He said he wants to continue hiring and promoting for vacant positions, and also completing a strategic plan guiding the direction of the organization.

He also aims to replace and renovate a number of fire department facilities placed on the Capital Improvement Plan and create new ways to recruit that will enhance the diversity of the department.

Osorio said his experience within, and love for, the city of Richmond puts him in a good position to lead the department. He says he knows what is needed and also the challenges that are unique to the city.

“I look forward to utilizing that institutional knowledge to move the fire department forward in a positive direction and enhance the services we provide to the community,” the chief said.

Osorio holds a bachelor of science degree in Fire Administration and is also a California State Fire Marshal-certified chief officer, company officer, and state instructor.

He also holds numerous certifications in fire, rescue, hazardous material, and incident command.

The chief has been married to his wife, Maria, for 26 years and they have two sons, Roman and Mateo.

Oakland Post

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Barbara Lee

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Reflects on Historic Moment Less Than One Week from Election Day

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) today released a piece on Medium reflecting on Vice President Kamala Harris’ historic presidential campaign 50 years after Lee worked on the presidential campaign of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm.

Published

15 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Congresswoman Barbara Lee.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) today released a piece on Medium reflecting on Vice President Kamala Harris’ historic presidential campaign 50 years after Lee worked on the presidential campaign of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm:

“As Election Day approaches, I’m reflecting on a few dates and numbers that mean something to me.

Zero: the number of Black members in Congress 56 years ago. Next Congress, we hope to swear in over 60 members in the Congressional Black Caucus.

Three: The number of Black women to ever serve in the United States Senate since the first Congress in 1789.

Two: The number of Black women that will be elected to the Senate this year alone if we do our job.

1972: The first time a Black woman, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, ran for president in one of the major political parties of the United States.

Zero: the number of Black women to ever serve as president of the United States.

IF we do the work, we can change that with President Kamala Harris.

As I reflect on what would be Congresswoman Chisholm’s 100th birthday next month, I could not help but remember that my first official involvement in U.S. politics was working for her presidential campaign in 1972.

Over 50 years later, I have been involved in every single campaign since. Shirley was my mentor — she was a bold visionary, a progressive woman who understood that working together in coalitions was the only way to make life better for everyone, to build an equitable society and democracy that lived up to the creed of “liberty and justice for all.”

The historic moment we are in today is not lost on me. I have had the privilege to have known Vice President Kamala Harris for over three decades. She, after all, is a daughter of the East Bay. She, like Shirley, truly is a fighter for the people.

And I know she can move our country forward in a new way. As a member of her National Advisory Board, I have campaigned across our country to help take her message, her legacy of service, and her “to-do list,” as she says, to voters who were almost starting to feel hopeless, but are now feeling hopeful once again, captured by the politics joy and the bright possibilities brought upon by a possible Harris-Walz administration.

Recently, I visited churches in North Carolina with members of the Congressional Black Caucus. The chair of our CBC political action committee, Chairman Gregory Meeks from New York’s fifth district, eloquently and powerfully presented a vision of what Dr. Maya Angelou wrote in her famous poem, “And Still I Rise:” “I am the dream and the hope of the slave.”

Meeks remarked that on Jan. 20, 2025, we will observe the birthday of our drum major for justice, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

He also described that on Jan. 20, IF we do the work — if we knock on doors, if we make those phone calls, if we spread our message — standing on the podium at the U.S. Capitol will be the first Black speaker of the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries.

In the wings will be over 60 members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Holding Frederick Douglass’ Bible will be the first African American woman appointed to the highest court of the land, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

She will be swearing-in the first Black woman to serve as president, Kamala Harris, in front of the shining white dome of the United States Capitol, built by enslaved Black people.

In front of her and beyond, the tens of millions of Black men and women who voted for her. The world will witness the hope and the dreams of our ancestors ushering in a new way forward.

As I sat in front of the stage this week at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., as Vice President Harris delivered remarks with the Oval Office behind her, I could not help but feel that our country was ready for this historic moment.

We are not only voting for a Black woman as Commander in Chief of the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world. We are definitively stating that we will not allow the clocks of freedom and justice to be turned back.

We are voting for our ancestors’ hopes and dreams. We are voting for the generations that will come after us, long after we are gone. We are voting for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Let’s get this done.