Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Israeli Officials to Hold Ceasefire Talks in Washington Amid Military Escalation in Gaza

1 hour ago

US Senate Republicans Struggling to Unite on Trump’s $3.3 Trillion Tax-Cut Bill

1 hour ago

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

17 hours ago

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

17 hours ago

Suspect Identified in Ambush Shooting That Killed 2 Idaho Firefighters

19 hours ago

Will Valadao Spoil Trump’s Plan for July 4th ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Signing?

20 hours ago

Shaver Lake and Reedley 4th of July Shows Are Wednesday. Who Else Is Celebrating?

24 hours ago
Police Aren’t the Only Ones Who Can Make Communities Safer
gvw_calmatters
By CalMatters
Published 6 years ago on
July 11, 2019

Share

After a recent string of shootings in Stockton, the search for answers seems to have turned almost entirely to law enforcement.
Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones recently said his first action would be to dispatch additional officers from California Highway Patrol and the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office to patrol “hot zones” to deter crime and arrest lawbreakers.

Portrait of Maurice Goens, a neighborhood change agent in Stockton
Opinion
Maurice Goens
Special to CalMatters
Law enforcement certainly plays a role in keeping our neighborhoods safe. But by focusing only on the police response, officials and the media in Stockton have largely ignored the important work being done by community-based anti-violence organizations like Advance Peace, where I work as a Neighborhood Change Agent.

How Advance Peace Works

At Advance Peace, we seek to prevent shootings by offering social services and mentorship to the small number of individuals most often at the center of the bloodshed in communities that experience high levels of gun violence.
After the recent shootings, I hit the streets to mediate conflicts between groups and convince them not to retaliate. I reached out directly to the people most at risk of becoming the next shooter or victim, and instead of simply telling them to make better life choices, I tried to figure out what they needed to actually turn their lives around.

 I ran the streets, sold drugs, got into fights, and bounced in and out of jail. I was locked up in 1995 when my daughter was born, and it cost me the first year of her life. When I got out, I realized the only thing awaiting me on the streets was prison or death. For the past 20 years, I’ve been giving back.
The answer to that question varies, but for most of our fellows, job training, counseling or housing resources goes a long way.
I’m able to connect with our fellows in part because I’ve been in their shoes. I had a rough adolescence and young adulthood, fueled in part by my cousin’s death at the hands of a police officer in 1993.
I ran the streets, sold drugs, got into fights, and bounced in and out of jail. I was locked up in 1995 when my daughter was born, and it cost me the first year of her life. When I got out, I realized the only thing awaiting me on the streets was prison or death.
For the past 20 years, I’ve been giving back.

It’s Never Too Late to Change Course

I’ve found fulfillment in helping people, and helping them help themselves. I always remind my fellows that life isn’t about being validated by others; you validate and define yourself by what you do, and it’s never too late to change course.
Most of these guys don’t want to be shooters, living in constant fear for their safety. When you offer them a positive alternative to dedicate themselves to, they’re usually eager to accept it.
Through this work, Advance Peace shows us a different vision for keeping communities safe. When we treat law enforcement as the only tool for upholding public safety, the response to increasing crime almost always involves increasing the police presence.
This law enforcement-first approach is understandable in some ways, but it can have unintended consequences. When police flood into our neighborhoods, we often feel less safe. More officers can lead to more aggressive enforcement of minor offenses, which doesn’t improve safety and only strains relationships with the community, making it less likely that police will get the cooperation they need to solve more serious crimes.

Advance Peace Helps for a Fraction of Police Costs

We take a more holistic approach at Advance Peace, working proactively and cooperatively to improve the lives of our fellows and put them on a path away from violence. This method improves their personal wellbeing and the safety of entire communities, and it comes at just a fraction of the cost of ramping up police patrols.
Although you may not hear about it in the news, since launching in 2018, Advance Peace has positively contributed to an existing ecosystem designed to reduce gun violence in Stockton.
The recent uptick in violence now appears to have subsided, but our work is just beginning. To be effective, we need sustained support from city leaders and the community, so that we can build on our successes and continue to show our fellows the promise of a better, more peaceful life.
About the Author
Maurice Goens is a Neighborhood Change Agent for Advance Peace in Stockton, maurice@advancepeace.org. He wrote this commentary for CalMatters, a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s Capitol works and why it matters.

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

Clovis Police Seek Public’s Help in Finding Missing 82-Year-Old Woman

DON'T MISS

Fresno Woman Killed in Head-On Collision, CHP Investigating

DON'T MISS

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

DON'T MISS

Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty in Murders of Four Idaho Students, ABC News Reports

DON'T MISS

Wildfire Near Lake Madera Country Estates Burns 12 Acres, Now 100% Contained

DON'T MISS

Fresno County CHP Arrest Two in Interstate 5 Drug, Gun, and Counterfeit Money Bust

DON'T MISS

California Seizes Over 600,000 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks. Newsom Calls for Safe Celebrations

DON'T MISS

Where Trade Talks Stand With Major US Partners Ahead of Tariffs-Hike Deadline

DON'T MISS

Labor Icon Huerta Breaks Ground on Fresno Park Bearing Her Name

UP NEXT

I Detest Netanyahu, but on Some Things He’s Actually Right

UP NEXT

Much of LA’s Community of Immigrants Is Hiding, Leaving a Hole in the Fabric of the City

UP NEXT

Things Netanyahu Might Say if Injected With Truth Serum

UP NEXT

Fresno EOC Eyes 4 Finalists in CEO Search

UP NEXT

California Politicians Ignore Ag’s Troubles, but Boost Movie Business

UP NEXT

Trump’s Courageous and Correct Decision to Bomb Iran

UP NEXT

How the Attacks on Iran Are Part of a Much Bigger Global Struggle

UP NEXT

Groceries Are Now a Luxury. So Is Breathing.

UP NEXT

California Politicians Agree on School Money, but Poor Test Scores Need Attention

UP NEXT

Sen. Alex Padilla: This Is How an Administration Acts When It’s Afraid

A Path Forward on Immigration Reform That Strengthens America

39 minutes ago

France Shuts Schools, Italy Limits Outdoor Work as Heatwave Grips Europe

40 minutes ago

Powell Reiterates Fed Will Wait for More Data Before Cutting Rates

47 minutes ago

Visalia Police Investigate Morning Shooting Outside Bethlehem Center

1 hour ago

Israeli Officials to Hold Ceasefire Talks in Washington Amid Military Escalation in Gaza

1 hour ago

US Senate Republicans Struggling to Unite on Trump’s $3.3 Trillion Tax-Cut Bill

1 hour ago

Trump Escalates Feud With Musk, Threatens Tesla, SpaceX Support

1 hour ago

Clovis Police Seek Public’s Help in Finding Missing 82-Year-Old Woman

16 hours ago

Fresno Woman Killed in Head-On Collision, CHP Investigating

16 hours ago

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

17 hours ago

Homeland Security Secretary Noem Says CNN May Be Prosecuted Over Report on Migration App

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Tuesday that she is working with the Justice Department to see if CNN can be prosecuted for ...

19 minutes ago

President Donald Trump and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speak with the media at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport on the day of the opening of a temporary migrant detention center informally known as "Alligator Alcatraz" in Ochopee, Florida, U.S., July 1, 2025. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein)
19 minutes ago

Homeland Security Secretary Noem Says CNN May Be Prosecuted Over Report on Migration App

Tesla CEO Elon Musk greets U.S. President Donald Trump as they attend the NCAA men's wrestling championships in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., March 22, 2025. (REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo)
22 minutes ago

Musk Promises a New Political Party if the GOP Bill Passes

U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken March 19, 2025. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
38 minutes ago

Dollar Gains Ground Against Major Peers After Better-Than-Expected US Jobs Data

39 minutes ago

A Path Forward on Immigration Reform That Strengthens America

A tourist cools off in the Trocadero Fountain next to the Eiffel Tower as an early summer heatwave hits Paris, France, July 1, 2025. (Reuters/Tom Nicholson)
40 minutes ago

France Shuts Schools, Italy Limits Outdoor Work as Heatwave Grips Europe

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testifies before a House Financial Services Committee hearing on "The Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress," on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 24, 2025. (Reuters File)
47 minutes ago

Powell Reiterates Fed Will Wait for More Data Before Cutting Rates

A man was shot Tuesday, July 1, 2025, morning outside the Bethlehem Center in Visalia, and police are investigating the incident. (Visalia PD)
1 hour ago

Visalia Police Investigate Morning Shooting Outside Bethlehem Center

Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a house that took place on Monday, in Zawayda in the central Gaza Strip, July 1, 2025. (Reuters/Ramadan Abed)
1 hour ago

Israeli Officials to Hold Ceasefire Talks in Washington Amid Military Escalation in Gaza

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

Search

Send this to a friend