Barasch & McGarry - Lawyers for the 9/11 Community’s Post

As I share this post, it grieves my heart to the core for the students that have to experience this trauma for the rest of their lives. The families that rushed to ensure their child's safety. The school system that has to continue ensuring a quality education and the safety of all students. And to the community of First Responders that responded and aided. As a small town agency in the South Metropolitan area of Atlanta, where we have approximately 6,200 citizens. I'm concerned ... I'm concerned about all of our communities. Youth violence has been one of the greatest single crime problems we face in this country. Partnership is needed on every level of government from the local, to state, to federal governments to develop prevention and enforcement programs that work and protect our communities. Yes, crime is punishable after the fact. But at the same time, we must do everything we can to prevent crime in the first place. Are we not peacemakers? Are we not crime stoppers? Are we not fellow community members? Statistics have shown that if communities, schools, government, and other key players pull together to address the roots of violence, we can make America safer for our children. Children are our next generation. Communities around the country are proving that prevention and intervention strategies that help keep our young people out of trouble do work. Think, do you know the signs and indicators of an individual on the pathway to violence? Do you know how to de-escalate that individual? Do you have a team or systems in place to continue ongoing monitoring? For me and my small town, we do not, and this tragedy has made me even more determined to ensure that the communities I work with and/or serve are safer with strategic prevention strategies. As a previous SRO, I can only imagine what those three SROs felt. One of the worst fears is an active shooter incident happening on anyone's watch. We must stay watchful and resilient. From the pen of the Chief of BPD. Thanks for entertaining my heart and pen. #YouthViolence #Prevention #CommunitySafety #ActiveShooterAwareness #SafetyFirst #Peacemakers #CrimePrevention #CommunityPartnership

Check out my conversation with CCRJP about starting Restorative Jeff Co!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Save Austin Now Commends City Manager T.C. Broadnax for Naming Davis as Austin Police Chief AUSTIN — Today nonpartisan Save Austin Now PAC is commending City Manager T.C. Broadnax for selecting Lisa Davis, Assistant Police Chief in Cincinnati, as the next Austin Police Chief. The following is a statement from Save Austin Now co-founders Matt Mackowiak and Cleo Petricek: “In a crucial decision for the future of our city, City Manager Broadnax correctly chose Lisa Davis as our next Police Chief as she is the person who has the best chance to earn the confidence of both the City Council and the rank and file at Austin Police Department. Davis has risen through the ranks of leadership in Cincinnati, has a fantastic local reputation, has never had a conduct complaint, and made a major effort to hear from community leaders and answer questions throughout the hiring process. We encourage the City Council to unanimously approve this selection. APD needs a bold and strong leader at this crucial time. “As an elusive mutual agreement to a four-year labor contract between the city and the police union nears, the foundation is being laid to finally address the significant recruitment and retention challenges that have continued for more than three years. “We hope and expect that incoming Police Chief Davis will make passing a labor contract her top priority immediately, then turn her attention to boosting morale, improving retention, and ramping up recruiting. What we have been doing has not worked, and it will require a true partnership between APD and city leaders to turn things around quickly. “APD is approaching an untenable staffing level of 1,300 available officers, which will be 500 down from their level in 2020 when the defund the police vote passed 11-0 under the direction of then-Mayor Steve Adler and its author then-Council Member Greg Casar. The consequences of defund the police have been disastrous for our city, our police department, crime victims, and public safety. “When seconds count, APD’s staffing level has directly increased 911 response times for priority calls. Our staffing level is threatening major event security, investigations of criminals, and nearly every aspect of life in our city. Our officers are overworked, stressed out, underpaid, targeted by our District Attorney, and constantly criticized by activists and some on our City Council. “These realities have created a circumstance in which confidently serving at APD is nearly impossible and leading APD is unappealing. Knowing these challenges, our city is fortunate to have a rising star in law enforcement like Lisa Davis step forward to serve our community. “It is time for Austin to renew its commitment to building a well-staffed, well-trained, effective police department for the 10th largest city in the country. There is no more important issue in our city than public safety.” # # #

As we head into the New Year, we are reflecting on what we accomplished in 2023 and looking ahead optimistically into 2024. We send a big thank you to everyone who supported the impact we are having on the communities we serve. If you have not made a year end gift to LCLC, you have one more day to donate here: https://lnkd.in/gE669Tyz If you have already donated, we hope you take a moment this weekend to reflect on the difference you have made -- the lives you have touched that will be better off because of you. The impact we've had is the result of all of us working together to make it happen. THANK YOU! Let's play the 2023 highlight reel (enjoy!): - Robin Steinberg, the national leader in community holistic defense, is supporting us with help from The Bail Project, one of our best-ever partners - Nearly completed the consenting process for our RCT -- 630 of the 660 consented with more coming in this week - Secured $3MM funding to sustain our successful roll out of Community Release with Support + expand into Maywood and Rolling Meadows - Illinois ended cash bail in September! And we are proving it's safer and successful! - Deepened our partnership with CLIHTF to connect our clients to housing - Awarded $5MM in city funding to house our clients, the largest investment in our clients' housing needs likely in the history of Chicago! - Raised $21MM in capital funding to construct our Residential Workforce Development Center! - Completed nine-month SWOT analysis and have been implementing solutions since - Unprecedented earned media coverage due to the great work our team is doing! The impact we're having is undeniable: - Community Holistic Defense -- ~340 youth served annually, 82.2% not catching new cases while in our care, 75% are being connected to critical social supports, 53% progressed in employment, 66% progressed in school, 46% no permanent felony records, 62% stay home instead of prison - Community Release with Support -- ~3,000 clients served annually, 98% returned to court, 64% cases dismissed, 100% received court reminders and transportation as needed, 57% linked to social services pending trial - Restorative Justice Community Courts -- we started the first in North Lawndale, two more have been added, 219+ emerging adults served, 84% charged with felony weapon possession, 86.9% have not caught new cases compared to 34.8% from a matched control group (conversely only 13.1% caught new cases in RJCC vs. 65.2% outside of RJCC) - Housing Justice -- We linked ~50 clients to housing with over 100 family members + another forty families in the queue for 2024. We go into 2024 with the unique expertise and value we have created in the field of criminal justice over the last fourteen years. We go into 2024 with a bright future, bold vision, and a great team of people dedicated to making our world better. Thank you and Happy New Year!

🔔 Exciting Legislative Update from Kentucky! 🔔 We're proud to announce that the Safer Kentucky Act has been passed following a successful override of Governor Andy Beshear's veto. This landmark legislation marks a significant stride toward enhancing public safety, with a special focus on curbing gang-related violence, refining carjacking laws, and bolstering reentry programs for the formerly incarcerated. Josh Crawford, Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives at the Center for Opportunity, highlighted the importance of this act: "Safe streets lead to thriving communities. The Safer Kentucky Act is a crucial step forward, particularly for our most vulnerable populations in poor and low-income areas, setting a foundation for economic revitalization." As professionals dedicated to community development and public safety, let's discuss how transformative policies like this can pave the way for economic growth and improved quality of life across regions. Your thoughts? Learn more:https://lnkd.in/gj9J94SJ #PublicSafety #CriminalJusticeReform #KentuckyLegislation #CommunityDevelopment #EconomicGrowth

As a member of the Board of Directors I can corroborate that this decision was not taken lightly. We are deeply saddened by the loss of these services in the North, and we recognize the significant impact this will have on students and families in our community. #LearningDisabilities #FundTheNorth #CommunitySupport #EducationMatters #EducationAdvocacy #AccessibilityServices

Second Chances and Clemency: The Biggest Step in the Right Direction, by Governor Murphy On Juneteenth, Governor Murphy signed Executive Order 362, which represents a significant advancement in executive clemency and criminal justice reform. This is a pioneering advancement towards a more equitable criminal justice system. Creating a separate Clemency Advisory Board would specifically guarantee a more equitable evaluation procedure for individuals seeking a second opportunity. This initiative extends beyond the mere act of releasing individuals from incarceration. It concerns providing them with a genuine chance to reconstruct their lives. People with criminal records, often due to circumstances beyond their control, face immense hurdles in finding housing, employment, and reintegrating into society. Clemency has the power to eliminate the stigma associated with a previous error and enable individuals to be evaluated solely on their abilities and contributions to their communities. Executive Order 362 has the potential to unlock the potential of countless individuals. Envision the favorable influence on families and communities when individuals are able to utilize their abilities and aptitudes without the weight of a criminal record. We need to move beyond a system that judges people solely based on their past mistakes. It's time to consider the root causes of crime—mental health, addiction, and poverty—and offer a path to redemption. Countless people with criminal records are already making positive contributions, and clemency can empower them to do even more. Let's use this as a springboard for more comprehensive criminal justice reform. Let's create a system that welcomes offenders back into society and focuses on giving them second chances. #clemency #secondchances #criminaljusticereform

I want to shed light on a critical issue facing our communities: elder abuse. As a notary, we often find ourselves in positions of trust, witnessing signatures, and validating documents. But there's more to our role than just stamping papers. We are guardians of integrity, and that includes protecting our vulnerable elders. Here is critical awareness training that anyone, not just notaries, working with or living near senior citizens should make use of. The incredibly low introductory enrollment fee demonstrates the need to distribute this information quickly and to as many as possible. Improve someone's life! Click here for additional information: https://lnkd.in/es7gMswG #notary #notarybusiness #notaryvillage #nna #elderabuse #awareness #notarypublic

Attention all active and retired Wisconsin police officers, federal police/agents, and other sworn law enforcement: I am the law enforcement representative on the board of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin Charitable Foundation and we are working towards opening a public safety recovery house, hopefully this year or next. In preparation, we have worked collaboratively with Rogers Behavioral Health researchers to create a law enforcement mental health survey that will provide the critical data on the programming needs of law enforcement at our future public safety house. All response data is anonymous and cannot be traced or tracked to any individual or department. Rogers Behavioral Health researchers maintain the response data and have conducted this exact type of research for Wisconsin fire fighters for several years. This survey has been endorsed by the Milwaukee Police Association and has already been distributed by many police departments to their members statewide. I ask for all active and retired law enforcement officers/agents to please take the survey and also distribute it throughout their personal and professional networks. The more responses that we get, the more we'll be able to appropriately address the needs of our law enforcement brothers and sisters in their times of need! https://lnkd.in/gJwqQviQ #law enforcement #police #mental health #police mental health

Healing modalities are now essential in prison restitution. Approaches like restorative justice focus on repairing harm, promoting healing, and rebuilding community bonds. By emphasizing reconciliation, they integrate behavior, personal, and environmental factors, along with self-efficacy. Empathy plays a crucial role in this process, fostering understanding and connection among all parties. Unlike mere punishment, these transformative methods offer a path to redemption for offenders and healing for victims and communities.