Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Trump Say He Will Go on Patrol in Washington With Police, Military

2 hours ago

Why COVID Is Spreading Again This Summer

1 day ago

Amid Threats From Trump, Sen. Adam Schiff Forms Legal Defense Fund

1 day ago

Israel to Place $500 Million, US-Funded Order for Boeing Aerial Refueling Tankers

1 day ago

Hurricane Erin Threatens North Carolina’s Outer Banks With Storm Surge

1 day ago

Israel Approves Settlement Plan to ‘Erase’ Idea of Palestinian State

1 day ago

Tech Stocks Pressure Wall Street as Caution Sets in Ahead of Fed Meet

1 day ago

Most Americans Believe Countries Should Recognize Palestinian State, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds

1 day ago

Gabbard Revokes Security Clearances of 37 Current, Former US Intelligence Members

2 days ago

Trump Escalates Attacks Against the Smithsonian Institution

2 days ago
Advance Peace Isn't About Paying Gang Members Not to Shoot People
Portrait of GV Wire News Director Bill McEwen
By Bill McEwen, News Director
Published 6 years ago on
June 21, 2019

Share

A renewed effort to convince gang members to become law-abiding citizens is coming Fresno’s way.
What that initiative looks like, how much it costs, and who funds it, however, will be decided over the next three months.

Portrait of GV Wire News Director Bill McEwen
Bill McEwen
Opinion
That was the compromise hammered out by the Fresno City Council at Thursday’s meeting following public comments from police chief Jerry Dyer and Advance Peace advocate Aaron Foster.

Foster Knows the Pain of Losing Loved Ones

Foster, a community organizer with Faith in the Valley-Fresno, has lost two children to gun violence.
One of them, Aaron Foster III, ran with gangs. But Kayla Foster, a Central High School senior who steered clear of gang involvement and encouraged friends to do likewise, was murdered two years ago on Memorial Day. The case remains unsolved.
Kayla’s death inspired her father to call for an end to the violence plaguing Fresno at a candlelight vigil a few days later in southwest Fresno.
“It shouldn’t just be my baby, it shouldn’t be anyone’s baby that’s bleeding in these streets,” Foster said that night. “Eight people that I know die every year, at least eight.”
There have been many calls for city leaders and community members to team up against gun violence after the killings of innocents like Kayla.
Not just in Fresno, but in cities across America, it’s become a ritual. A life snuffed out by bullets. Followed by anger, pleadings, and promises to do something meaningful.
But the killings, the tears, and the families forever tortured by the loss of loved ones keep piling up.

The Advance Peace Proposal

The difference this time, perhaps, is that Foster’s resolve hasn’t waned.
He and other Advance Peace advocates came to Thursday’s meeting seeking $300,000 to seed a violence-reduction program augmented by private funds. Under the program, community members talk to gang members about changing their behavior and seeking gainful employment. The program connects those willing to change to therapy, education, and workforce training.
But there’s a controversial component to Advance Peace: Participants who achieved defined goals receive stipends to augment their income. In Richmond, where Advance Peace is headquartered, individuals receive $300 to $1,000 monthly.
Some opponents have described it as gangsters getting paid not to shoot people. On Thursday, councilman Garry Bredefeld called Advance Peace “sheer lunacy,” adding that the best way to keep people safe is bringing back tough-on-crime laws such as Three Strikes.
But councilman Luis Chavez rebutted the program’s critics: “It’s not the city giving money for not shooting folks.”


After the meeting, Foster called the stipends “support while you get your feet on the ground.”

Dyer: Taxpayer Money Shouldn’t Go to Gang Members

Dyer made clear that while he supports efforts to cut violence, he doesn’t want taxpayer money going to gang members. And while Advance Peace backers point to success in Richmond, the chief said that Stockton, which has implemented a pilot program, is seeing an increase in homicides and other violent crimes.
Dyer also told the council about two earlier gang and violence reduction programs — Operation Ceasefire Fresno and the Mayor’s Gang Prevention Initiative.
Ceasefire centered on telling gang members they were on law enforcement’s radar and spelling out the consequences if they were arrested, prosecuted and sent to prison. During these “call-ins,” gang members also learned about the support they’d get if they went straight. The program, which was designed by the Department of Justice and endorsed by California officials, proved effective early on.
But, Dyer said, California cities lost their “hammer” to convince gang members to show up to call-ins with the adoption of Assembly Bill 109, which emptied out the state’s overcrowded prisons, and changed criminal resentencing laws. As for the gang prevention initiative started during the administration of Mayor Alan Autry, it was gutted by the Great Recession.
Dyer told the council the most effective strategy is to aggressively pursue gang members breaking the law while also funding gang prevention programs and “giving gang members the opportunity to get out of the gang life.”
In defense of the Advance Peace proposal, Foster said, “The police don’t have all the answers, and we don’t have all the answers. But this isn’t about the chief or about me. Advance Peace isn’t a cure-all, but it’s part of the solution.”

A Compromise and a Win for Advance Peace

And thus a compromise was born.
The council passed councilman Miguel Arias’ proposal to set aside — but not approve — $200,000 for the program in the fiscal year 2020 budget while allowing Dyer, Foster, and others 90 days to collaborate on a Fresno-specific version of Advance Peace.
During and after the discussion, Foster and Dyer hugged.
Leaving the council chambers, Foster raised his right arm, signaling victory and the fact that Advance Peace now has a voice in addressing multigenerational gang membership and gun violence.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

‘Where’s the Humanity in This?’ Hear ICE Detainee Describe Being Ripped From Family

DON'T MISS

Trump Administration Cuts California Grant Over Transgender Policies

DON'T MISS

US Issues More Iran-Related Sanctions

DON'T MISS

Find Out How You Can Watch Sold Out 72-Hour Film Race

DON'T MISS

Fresno Councilmember Esparza Suspends State Senate Bid, Backs Soria

DON'T MISS

Netanyahu Says Israel to Begin Gaza Ceasefire Negotiations to End War, Release Hostages

DON'T MISS

Trump Say He Will Go on Patrol in Washington With Police, Military

DON'T MISS

Musk, X Corp to Settle $500-Million Lawsuit Over Twitter Firings

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Warn Drivers Ahead of Saturday DUI Patrols

DON'T MISS

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Robert Paul Rios

UP NEXT

Top Dem on Oversight Committee Demands Trump Administration Account for Wildland Firefighter Vacancies

UP NEXT

California’s Finances Face a Perfect Storm. It Could Eventually Lead to Another Tax Hike

UP NEXT

Poll: California Dems Favor Newsom Over Harris in 2028 Matchup

UP NEXT

Wired Wednesday: Why Is Pismo’s Manager in ICE Detention?

UP NEXT

Why COVID Is Spreading Again This Summer

UP NEXT

What Trump Is Really Up to With the Military Occupation of DC

UP NEXT

Immigrant Students Shape California’s Future. Don’t Close the Door on Them

UP NEXT

Founders of This New Development Say You Must Be White to Live There

UP NEXT

Yosemite Biologist Who Hung Trans Pride Flag From El Capitan Is Fired

UP NEXT

Nexstar to Buy Smaller Rival Tegna for $3.54 Billion in Big Local-TV Deal

Bill McEwen,
News Director
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email

Find Out How You Can Watch Sold Out 72-Hour Film Race

2 hours ago

Fresno Councilmember Esparza Suspends State Senate Bid, Backs Soria

2 hours ago

Netanyahu Says Israel to Begin Gaza Ceasefire Negotiations to End War, Release Hostages

2 hours ago

Trump Say He Will Go on Patrol in Washington With Police, Military

2 hours ago

Musk, X Corp to Settle $500-Million Lawsuit Over Twitter Firings

2 hours ago

Fresno Police Warn Drivers Ahead of Saturday DUI Patrols

3 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Robert Paul Rios

3 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Suspect After Shooting Near River Park

4 hours ago

Israel Bombards Gaza City Ahead of Planned Offensive

4 hours ago

Fresno Hosts Giddy Up N’ Groove Country Festival Before Dog Daze Fest

4 hours ago

‘Where’s the Humanity in This?’ Hear ICE Detainee Describe Being Ripped From Family

Long-time Pismo’s Coastal Grill general manager Psalm Behpoor was detained by ICE  in Fresno on June 23 and has been incarcerated in a...

15 minutes ago

15 minutes ago

‘Where’s the Humanity in This?’ Hear ICE Detainee Describe Being Ripped From Family

President Donald Trump reacts during a meeting in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 18, 2025. (Reuters File)
1 hour ago

Trump Administration Cuts California Grant Over Transgender Policies

U.S. and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. (Reuters Illustration File)
1 hour ago

US Issues More Iran-Related Sanctions

CMAC 72-Hour Film Race screening
2 hours ago

Find Out How You Can Watch Sold Out 72-Hour Film Race

2 hours ago

Fresno Councilmember Esparza Suspends State Senate Bid, Backs Soria

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the U.S. Independence Day reception, known as the annual "Fourth of July" celebration, hosted by Newsmax, in Jerusalem August 13, 2025. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

Netanyahu Says Israel to Begin Gaza Ceasefire Negotiations to End War, Release Hostages

With the dome of the U.S. Capitol in the background, members of the DC National Guard keep watch outside Union Station after U.S. President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard and ordered an increased federal law enforcement presence to assist in crime prevention, in Washington, D.C., August 19, 2025. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

Trump Say He Will Go on Patrol in Washington With Police, Military

Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of Twitter, gestures as he attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 16, 2023. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

Musk, X Corp to Settle $500-Million Lawsuit Over Twitter Firings

Search

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Send this to a friend