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Durham Gang Reduction Strategy Steering Committee Seeks Resident Input on Impacts of Gangs

Phyllis Coley @phyllis_coley

Durham, NC – The Durham Gang Reduction Strategy Steering Committee is assessing gang-related issues in Durham County and is now seeking input from residents in Durham County. The online Durham Community Resident Survey allows residents of Durham County the opportunity to provide local policymakers with input on how gangs in Durham are impacting them and what they would like to see implemented in the future to address gang issues in the#gangs community.

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Photo shows Antonio Davenport, a Durham man, brandishing a firearm. At the time this was posted on Instagram, Davenport was a convicted felon, but he appears to have no concern about being viewed on social media with a firearm by at least 6,500 viewers. Not long after this post, Davenport was arrested in connection with the shooting death of a 9-year-old Durham child and he remains incarcerated in the Durham County Detention Center awaiting trial on murder and other charges, including Possession of a Firearm by a Felon. (submitted)

The survey is open to all City of Durham and Durham County residents; however, the steering committee is especially interested in receiving feedback from residents directly impacted by gang issues in Durham. The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete, can be filled out via smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. Survey responses are confidential. Those residents that provide a valid email address when completing the survey will be entered into a drawing to win a $25 gift certificate for completing the survey.

Take the survey here, until August 31, 2021.

The Durham Community Resident Survey was developed by a diverse working group and addresses numerous quality-of-life issues in Durham. Residents’ input is invaluable. Participating in the survey serves as an opportunity for community members to directly influence future gang prevention, intervention, and suppression activities in Durham. Survey results will help Durham community leaders understand how gang issues are affecting every neighborhood, and what should be done by local agencies to address them.

“Direct input from Durham community residents is some of the most valuable data we will be collecting for the 2021 Comprehensive Gang Assessment,” said Jim Stuit, Durham County’s Gang Reduction Strategy Manager. “We are grateful to all those who take time to fill out the survey and give us their personal input on the impact of gangs on their lives and how the community can work to address them.”

The community resident survey is one piece of a larger community gang assessment by City and County stakeholders that will be looking at a wide range of data. The goal of this assessment is to collect information on gang membership and activity in Durham and gather ideas about possible solutions. The assessment will follow a protocol created by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention/U.S. Department of Justice: https://nationalgangcenter.ojp.gov/comprehensive-gang-model/assessment-guide.

For more information about this project and the Durham Gang Reduction Steering Committee, visit https://www.dconc.gov/county-departments/departments-a-e/criminal-justice-resource-center/gang-reduction-strategy, or contact Stuit at 919-560-8580 or jstuit@dconc.gov.