Diagnostic Analysis of the City of Rockford, IL: Opportunities for Evidence-Based Technical Assistance

• NCJ Number: 250593
• Date Published: September 2015
• Length: 63 pages
• Agencies: OJP-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Technical Assistance); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description

Annotation

This is an executive summary of the training and technical assistance (TTA) provided by the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs' (OJP's) Diagnostic Center to the City of Rockford, IL, based upon the city's request for assistance in developing strategies that are data-driven and effective in reducing violent crime and heroin abuse while improving police-community relations.

Abstract

The areas where the Diagnostic Center provided TTA support were an assessment of the scope of violent crime and heroin abuse, an assessment of community-police relations, and an expansion of the city's capacity for data-driven decisionmaking. Activities in each of these support areas are listed. The city and the Diagnostic Center have completed the diagnostic phase of the TTA package. This involved the collection and analysis of violent crime and gun-related data for the identification of patterns and trends. It also involved on-site interviews of criminal justice, public health, and community stakeholders. In addition, the diagnostic phase identified training and technical assistance to strengthen strategies for reducing violent crime, gun violence, heroin abuse, and improving community-police relations. Another component of the completed diagnostic phase was to determine what works in the community. This consisted of examining what makes a program or practice "evidence-based;" the evaluation and selection of the "best fit" practice or evidence-based model; and an assessment of the community and organizational readiness for various evidence-based programs and practices. The inputs and outputs of each of the diagnostic components are outlined. The next steps in the TTA package of the Diagnostic Center are to implement what works in the community and then assess how well it worked. The training and technical assistance plan is included in this report. Appended examples of youth violence prevention programs and strategies and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services resources