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Probation’s Neighborhood Safety Unit reports reduced referrals, youth activity gains and requests deeper coordination
Summary
The county probation department’s Neighborhood Safety Unit reported on community surveys, youth programming and a decline in referrals; supervisors pressed for coordination on data, inventory grants, attendance interventions and gun‑safety education; the committee directed follow‑up coordination with immigrant‑relations and an inventory report.
The probation department’s Neighborhood Safety Unit (NSU) presented its fiscal‑year 2023–24 activities on June 26, describing community safety surveys, youth programming, school attendance campaigns and public‑safety partnerships in East San Jose, Valley Palms and Gilroy.
Highlights staff described: Program manager Myra Mejia and research specialist Eduardo Aceves said NSU collected 619 community safety surveys this fiscal year (351 from East Gilroy residents and 268 from East San Jose residents) and used the results to shape local programming. Youth survey responses prioritized sports (soccer, basketball), arts programming, biking, cleanups and food events.
Key efforts: NSU launched — in partnership with Valley Palms Unidos and Pacific Clinics — a 12‑week soccer clinic on Mondays and Wednesdays, and worked with the Quakes and other partners on earlier clinics. Partners including Pacific Clinics, Catholic Charities and New Hope for Youth supported prosocial activities and neighborhood cleanups. In Gilroy, the city and Gilroy Police installed cell‑based cameras and improved lighting at Sunny City Park after community requests; the Gilroy Police Department plans real‑time monitoring and a staffing position for active tracking.
School partnerships and attendance: NSU staff and school principals implemented attendance campaigns at partner schools. Eduardo Aceves presented state Department of Education data showing chronic absenteeism rose during the pandemic and dropped in fiscal‑year 2024 at partner schools — for example Glenview and Elliot in Gilroy dropped from 41% (FY23) to 24% (FY24) at one site after attendance initiatives. Staff described specific school practices that principals piloted (weekly incentives, “Duck Days,” 100% attendance charts, assemblies and character‑building programs) and noted that community liaisons were pivotal to outreach.
Areas of inquiry and concerns: NSU identified a notable youth response on gun access: about 20% of youth survey respondents said they know how to get a gun. Staff said this flagged an area for gun‑violence prevention education; the department said it will work with the DA’s SB 53 gun‑violence prevention workgroup, community leaders and contractors to provide safe‑storage education and other prevention workshops. Supervisors and staff discussed potential city‑level safe‑storage policy in Gilroy.
Community cohesion and collective impact: NSU framed the work as building social cohesion and supporting resident leadership through walking school bus programs, volunteer food distributions and neighborhood leadership cohorts. The Valley Palms walking school bus and the creation of a crosswalk were cited as examples linked with fewer vehicle‑pedestrian incidents near Catherine Smith Elementary after infrastructure changes and volunteer leadership.
Committee directions and requests: Supervisors asked NSU to provide a report listing current NSU‑funded contracts and vendor deliverables (the committee discussed “inventory grants” and coordination with other county providers), to convene county partners and vendors in more regular coordinated meetings, and to provide more recent data so the Board can evaluate and, where appropriate, align inventory grant funding. NSU accepted a friendly amendment to provide the contract inventory, vendor deliverables and monitoring information and to convene county partners and providers for a coordination meeting.
Action: The committee voted to receive the report and added direction: to convene with the Office of Immigrant Relations and coordinate with inventory‑grant providers and county partners. Vice Chairperson Young and Chairperson Arenas voted yes; motion carried.
What’s next: NSU staff said they will provide an off‑agenda report with contract inventories, grant deliverables and monitoring details, and coordinate a follow‑up meeting with county partners to discuss strategic priorities and shared metrics for chronic absenteeism, youth activities and gun‑safety education.
