STOCKTON, Calif — Stockton Police Department said the city's homicide rate has fallen at a notable rate compared to over a year ago.
Last year at this time, there were 47 homicides. This year, that number has dropped to 36 homicides.
"It's really a collaboration and a collaborative effort between community, a lot of our non-profit groups, clergy and police and law enforcement," said Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones.
He said a number of factors are contributing to the lower homicide numbers, including less pandemic-related domestic violence deaths now that a lock-down is no longer in effect. This is in addition to more people being willing to give tips for cash rewards through the city's Crime Stoppers program.
"It's really information from witnesses and others that often breaks a case or solves a case," Jones added.
He also says the city's Office of Crime Prevention and its Operation Peacekeeper program has also been a contributing factor. The program is made up of seven "Peacekeepers" who work with those at "the highest risk for being perpetrators and/or victims of gun violence."
They respond to violent crime scenes or the county hospital to speak with friends and family to prevent retaliation.
The Peacekeepers get referrals from police on individuals involved with violent incidents. But, they emphasize any information they receive from individuals moving forward is not shared with police.
One young man, who didn't want to give his name, said he joined a gang in Stockton at the age of 13.
Faced with serious felony charges less than a year ago, it was a turning point for him.
"I was in a situation where it was go to a jail for fifteen years or go into a military academy to experience something new," he said.
He enrolled in Discovery Challenge Academy in Lathrop, which intervenes in the lives of at-risk teens.
His life was forever changed thanks to "Peacekeepers" reaching out to him.
"We'll reach out to those individuals, and we will find opportunities for them to get away from that lifestyle," said Grover Crump, a supervisor for Operation Peacekeeper.
Now 18, the young man who wanted his identity concealed said he is getting a 4.0 grade point average in school and hopes to join the Marines.
He also hopes to put the gang lifestyle behind him for good.
"Some people got it worse and some people got it the same. So, it's all about what you want to do really. It's what you want to put your mind to," he said.
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