Pulling levers focused deterrence strategies and the prevention of gun homicide

Author: Braga AA
Publication: Journal of Criminal Justice
Topics: Crime Ethnicity Homicide Law Enforcement Local
Keywords: Criminal Justice Deterrence Intervention Gang Gun Homicide Operation Peacekeeper
Bibliographic information +

In the late 1990’s, the City of Stockton, CA implemented “Operation Peacekeeper,” a “pulling levers” focused deterrence intervention designed to reduce gun homicide in the city. This paper describes the results of the Department of Justice-funded impact pre-post evaluation of the intervention. Operation Peacekeeper involved a partnership between the Stockton Police Department and a variety of state, county and federal criminal justice and corrections agencies designed to ensure coordinated response to all gang-related gun violence in the city. Gang members throughout the city were explicitly informed that any gang participating in gun violence would become the focus of Operation Peacekeeper and that “the interagency group would use whatever means were legally available to stop gun violence.” (p. 335). Specifically, arrests, priority prosecution, federal charging when appropriate, and close enforcement of probation/parole conditions for members of the gang(s) involved followed all gun incidents. During the intervention, gun homicides decreased from 2.9 incidents per month to 1.9 incidents per month, but increased slightly to 2.1 incidents per month at the conclusion of the 5-year intervention.