Main components needed for a Task Force to establish as an affiliate:
Inclusion of as many of the following taskforce members as pssible: at
least one member from local law enforcement, school advocates/counselors, a diverse array of church leadership, local domestic
violence and sexual assault agencies, parish city council, local medical community, local media
Submit: yearly Task Force goals and action planto the state
entity for collaboration and support purposes
Expectations of Task Forces:
Have a minimum of 2 leadership positions that (can) rotate yearly: Chairperson (creates agendas, conducts
meetings,organizes meeting location, and motivates new and old members attendance) and Secretary (takes minutes and distributes
them to the Task Force and to the state entity, assists in motivating member attendance). Other leadership positions can include
Membership and Outreach Chairs.
Holds monthly meetings that include networking of resources of Alliance members.
Create and carry out short- and long-term community violence prevention projects, and ongoing outreach
and educational efforts.
Creates an ongoing method of self -education for the Task Force regarding issues of violence.
Sends at least the Task Force Chairperson or one representative to attend quarterly statewide meetings.
This/these representative(s) must be prepared to report to the state about their local task force. Additionally, they
must report back to the local task force about state decisions and plans and assist their implementation and follow through.
It can start today
ACTION PLAN: Historically, violent behavior has been addressed primarily through the criminal
justice system. Although it is important to punish and rehabilitate the perpeturators of violence, ideally, violent acts can
be prevented. The criminal justice sysytem has focused upon offenders with less emphasis upon the victims (both the
individual and the community). As a result, people are feeling increasingly angry and helpless. The result is
a public sentiment that government cannot effectively deal with violence. How can communities develop a sense of
affirmation, reconciliation and enablement towards themselves and others? Does the solution for this despair rely only
upon the punitive measures of the criminal justice system? The threat of incarceration of perpetuators of violence is
a temporary solution for the community. The Task Force views violence as a public health problem.
The best approach is to prevent a problem from occuring and to treat those for whom prevention has failed. Countless
lives were saved with the discovery of antibiotics, but the greatest strides toward health were made with the invention and
use of vaccines. The public health approach to controlling infectious diseases has been to understand causes and effects.
The same applies to violence. By charting the occurence and circumstances of violence and identifying those at risk,
it is possible to arrive at intervention strategies.
Educate the policy makers and the public that violence is a serious health problem, not
just a criminal justice problem.
Make schools safe by teaching methods of nonviolent conflict resolution to both students
and teachers.
Identify the strengths within all communities, targeting individuals and programs
that decrease the level of violence.
Provide opportunities for young people to learn new techniques for handling interpersonal
crises by creating alternatives to their present experiences in the home, school, housing and employment.
Educate and work with the media to present violence as a less attractive and permissible
reaction to conflict by involving the media with the alternatives discussed above.
The ultimate goal of thess Task Forces is to stem the rising tide of violence in LA
by developing and recommending sound policies, priorities, and strategies for the prevention of disabilities,
and to encourage and assist public and private organizations engaged in efforts to reduce the occurence of violence.
