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Stockton residents urge council to fully fund violence‑prevention programs after birthday‑party shooting
Summary
Following a mass shooting that killed four children at a Lucille Avenue birthday party, dozens of residents urged Stockton City Council to restore and fully staff evidence‑based programs — including Operation Ceasefire and the Office of Violence Prevention — and to pursue state and federal grants.
Dozens of people who addressed the Stockton City Council on Dec. 9 urged immediate, sustained investment in violence‑prevention programs after a Nov. mass shooting on Lucille Avenue that killed four children and wounded others.
Nikki Smith, president of Cleveland School Remembers, told the council that “death by gun violence is the number one killer of children in our country,” and urged officials to “support any policy, any law or any violence intervention program that this body can bring forward,” including full funding for the city’s Office of Violence Prevention and programs such as Advanced Peace.
Deborah Ellison, a representative of Moms Demand Action and a survivor of gun violence, urged the council to examine whether reductions in federal funding — including CalVIP grants for community‑based interventions — have left local programs underfunded and to develop plans to fill gaps with city, state or philanthropic resources.
David Singh Thai, a community advocate, urged the restoration of Operation Ceasefire with “fidelity, full staffing, regular shooting reviews and constant consistent engagement with our folks on the ground.” Several speakers asked for audits of OVP caseloads and clearer coordination between city, county and school‑district partners.
Family members of other homicide victims used their time to press for police transparency and accountability. Samantha Kelly, who identified herself as the mother of Rocco Robinson, criticized the pace of the investigation into her son’s death and said she had not received forensic materials or property. Other relatives asked the council and law‑enforcement partners for faster updates and better case staffing.
Advocates said the council should prioritize evidence‑based interventions rather than politicking. “We need long‑term counseling and support for our latest victims,” one speaker said; another urged the council to return to proven programs that reduced Stockton homicides in earlier years.
Mayor Christina Fugazi and other council members responded by praising community organizers and law‑enforcement efforts and by describing recent multi‑agency meetings with state and federal partners. The mayor emphasized the city’s intent to pursue available grants and to coordinate local prevention efforts; the city manager’s office and staff said they would follow up with program and grant details.
The council did not vote on new funding at the meeting. Several council members and staff said they would return with more detailed fiscal options and a report on existing OVP staffing and grant applications. The meeting closed with a council‑requested moment of silence for the victims.
