The majority of individuals contacted received one to two visits, although some individuals were contacted as many as five times. They made contact with approximately 320 individuals during that time: 95 youth with the remaining contacts made with influential individuals in their lives. The department started conducting mini notifications in November 2018, conducting 96 mini notifications in 2018 and 485 in 2019. While no formal review or evaluation has been completed on the mini notification program, the Buffalo Police Department saw reductions in gun violence during the first year of the program. The department partners with Peace Makers, Stop the Violence Coalition, Buffalo Employment Training Center, Northland Workforce Training Center, and PathStone to provide community outreach services and other resources. To conduct mini notifications and custom notifications, the Buffalo Police Department relies on the Erie Crime Analysis Center to provide reports on social media activity. Mini notifications are funded in part through the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative, which is administered by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services. This results in different officers visiting youth and their families on a regular basis, which is beneficial because more people are coming in contact with the youth. Officers performing notifications volunteer for the detail and are selected on the basis of seniority on any given day. Police continue to monitor social media posts and other intelligence until those sources indicate that the individual is no longer known to be involved with criminal activity. A family member contact is important due to the young age of the at-risk individuals. Police officers also speak with parents, grandparents, or any other influential person in the youth’s life or home. The officers make it known that the department will continue to engage with the youth as long as the individual continues to be involved in at-risk behavior in an effort to deter the individual from perpetrating or being victimized by gun activity. The goal is to have a conversation about the youth’s life choices and to steer the individual away from violence. The officers request to come into the youth’s home in an effort to connect with the individual and build trust using the principles of procedural justice: opportunities for voice, neutrality in decision making, respect in treatment, and trustworthiness in actions and motives. This message is important and aims to ease any tension about the interaction, which makes the individuals more receptive to hearing the messages conveyed during the mini notification. During the visit, officers make it clear that they are there to talk with youth and/or their families about their activity, not to search their home or make an arrest. Three police officers and a lieutenant conduct each mini notification, which can last from five to 20 minutes, with youth and/or their family members. While there is no age requirement, for youth identified are typically 14 and 25 years old. Supervising lieutenants in two targeted districts in Buffalo review the social media reports in conjunction with officer intelligence and identify youth who will receive mini notifications that day. Youth are identified from intelligence, including social media posts that indicate potential involvement with illegal gun use, analyzed by the Erie Crime Analysis Center. The Buffalo Police Department began supplementing these custom notifications for youth with more frequent, but less formal and shorter, notifications conducted only by police officers. Buffalo custom notifications typically take place every four to five weeks. The police and service providers also offer opportunities for help with any needs the individuals may have, such as returning to school, assistance with current schooling, job training or employment. Custom notifications let individuals know that they are valued members of the community but put them on notice that violence will not be tolerated and they will face specific risks and consequences if they continue to engage in violence. These visits help to quickly interrupt cycles of group-related violence and address retaliation and active disputes. Included in the National Network for Safe Communities Group Violence Intervention strategy, custom notifications are home or street visits by police and community service providers to individuals identified by police as potentially being engaged in violence. The Buffalo Police Department conducts custom notifications as part of its violence reduction efforts.
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