Merced leaders tentatively endorse Advance Peace program as an anti-violence strategy
Merced leaders on Monday took a first, albeit somewhat hesitant, step toward endorsing an anti-violence program that advocates say could make the city more peaceful.
The program up for deliberation is run by Advance Peace. The nonprofit seeks to reduce gun hostility by identifying a region’s most likely shooters and offering them support intended to break cyclical and retaliatory violence.
“Since the pandemic, we’ve had a lot more community violence in Merced,” said City Councilmember Jesse Ornelas, one of the strongest proponents for implementing Advance Peace locally. “There is a problem here, especially with young people participating in violence.”
There’s little to no disagreement among city leaders that atrocities in Merced, especially those involving firearms, are a growing problem.
Reports of violent crimes were up last year, with 13 murder/non-negligent homicide cases compared to seven in 2020 — an increase of 85.71% — according to city crime data submitted to the FBI.
How to quell that violence is less easily agreed upon.
Only Councilmember Kevin Blake voted against taking initial steps to better understand how an Advance Peace program would look in Merced, but several of his colleagues on the dais expressed uncertainty over whether the approach is appropriate.
The City Council’s vote permitted staff to complete an Advance Peace site assessment, which helps the organization determine whether its program is suitable for a jurisdiction. The assessment also shapes the program to fit a community by evaluating its needs, opportunities and resources.
Staff will return at a future City Council meeting with a Merced-specific pilot program. It’s at that point that elected officials will decide whether to endorse Advance Peace locally.
Merced leaders split over anti-violence strategy
By targeting its support to those at the center of gun violence, Advance Peace seeks to bridge gaps between anti-violence programming and hard-to-reach populations, the nonprofit’s website says.
At the crux of the approach is a personalized and intensive “peacemaker fellowship” for youth involved in firearm offenses. Fellows participate in group life-skills classes, counseling, job and skills training, elder mentoring and receive potential financial incentives if they reach agreed-upon goals.
Advance Peace has been tried in California cities like Richmond, Stockton, Sacramento and Fresno. Richmond saw a 85% decrease in firearm assaults between 2012 to 2019 while the program operated, according to a report by the organization.
Of 127 individuals enrolled in the Richmond peacemaker fellowship over the course of six cohorts, 66% had no new gun-related charges as of 2019. Improvements were also shown in Fresno, Stockton and Sacramento, according to reports.
Ornelas lauded the approach for raising up individuals who have overcome violence and found a better way of life as mentors.
“It’s the community showing self-determination and helping themselves,” he said.
But the tactic has drawn critics in some regions. Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones in 2017 voiced “fundamental objections” to the program, equating it to paying people not to commit crimes.
Councilmember Kevin Blake took a similar stance Monday, stating that he doesn’t support providing incentives to not shoot people.
“Call me old-fashioned, but I don’t see a lot of redeeming qualities in people who shoot at other people,” Blake said. “I think when you try to kill other people, you kind of give up your rights.”
The City Councilmember, who also serves with the Merced County Sheriff’s Office, said he’s seen programs with similar goals come and go over the years with little impact. The solution to mitigating violence, he said, is increased law enforcement and incarceration.
Merced Mayor and Chief Deputy District Attorney Matt Serratto said he’s also witnessed similar programs achieve varying levels of success throughout his career in criminal justice.
But the mayor advocated for learning more about how the program could be shaped to suit Merced, as gang and violence prevention is an “extremely worthy cause.”
Blake also noted Advance Peace’s recent appearance in Fresno news about a multi-agency campaign against gangs and human traffickers.
An 82-page criminal complaint filed Monday by the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office details brutality inflicted by members of the 107 Hoover gang. One of the defendants, Leonard Smith, is described in the complaint as a gang associate and an employee of Advance Peace. He is charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
Aaron Foster, program manager for Advance Peace, issued a statement to The Fresno Bee Tuesday.
“Yes, Leonard Smith is an employee of Advance Peace Fresno. By the nature of of the program, our Neighborhood Change Agents work with gang members to reduce cyclical and retaliatory gun violence. We are looking forward to a positive outcome.”
Foster declined to answer any questions beyond the statement.
Councilmember Fernando Echevarria acknowledged the connection between an Advance Peace advocate and the very type of violence the organization aims to halt, but stated that one bad actor doesn’t mean the entire program lacks value.
Echevarria voiced support for completing the site assessment before city leaders officially endorse or reject the program. With the exception of Blake, his fellow City Councilmembers appeared to agree.
Even if leaders decide it isn’t a good fit, City Manager Stephanie Dietz said the assessment will help identify local needs as the city moves forward and explores alternative violence prevention strategies.
Councilmember Delray Shelton, also a member of the Merced County Sheriff’s Office, was active alongside Ornelas in introducing Advance Peace as a potential anti-violence strategy.
Shelton told the Sun-Star that he sees the program as another tool in the city’s toolbox of resources working in conjunction with criminal justice, law enforcement, counseling, education and job training to fix Merced’s violence problem.
While supportive of an anti-violence program, Shelton said he will have to wait until after the assessment to decide whether Advance Peace is the best solution.
“Perhaps this assessment will tell us what type of program we do need,” Shelton said.
This story was originally published April 19, 2022 at 3:07 PM.
