81
vention, intervention, and suppression efforts
works better than suppression efforts alone.
37
Youth who have been involved with the juvenile justice system are at increased risk of substance abuse, injury, and negative educational
impacts. Many factors have been noted as contributing to crime among youth, including poverty, exposure to violence, maltreatment,
substance abuse, and mental illness.
38
Youth who
have spent time in detention are more likely to
engage in criminal behavior as adults and experience increased rates of attempted suicide and
other mental health disorders.
39
To address these particular issues, local groups
established the Youth Violence Prevention Task
Force as a way to build better relationships and
improve trust among young people, adults, and
law enforcement. Recently, several facilitated
dialogs were held in each law enforcement jurisdiction so youth, adults, and police could engage
in honest discourse about their challenges, opportunities, local experiences, and other issues that
may prevent collaboration on community safety.
As expected, some discussions were difficult, but
they were successful in helping each group better
understand the others.
The 2019 CAP report shows that the crime
rate in Santa Cruz County has decreased from
36.9 per 1000 residents in 2012 to 31.2 per 1000
residents in 2018. Although this is encouraging,
the rate is still slightly higher than California as a
whole (28.5 per 1000 residents). However, the
homicide rate for the County has dropped from
4.5 per 100,000 people in 2012 to 2.3 per 100,000
people in 2017. This is lower than the California
rate of 5.2 per 100,000.
37 Howell, J. C. (2007). Menacing or mimicking? Realities
of youth gangs. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 58(2),
39–50. Retrieved from: http://www.nationalgangcenter.
gov/Content/Documents/Menacing-or-Mimicking.pdf
38 Juvenile Arrests Summary – Kidsdata.org. Kidsdata.
org. Available at: http://www.kidsdata.org/topic/30/juvenile-arrests/summary#jump=why-important. Accessed
November 23, 2015.
39 Prevent Juvenile Delinquency. Policy for Results 2015.
Available at: http://www.policyforresults.org/youth/prevent-juvenile-delinquency. Accessed November 23, 2015.
Regarding the Natural Environment, the CAP
reports that water use per person has increased
between 2015 and 2018. In addition, county residents have increased the amount of trash per person between 2011 and 2017. California likewise
has increased in the same time period. It’s apparent that residents need more education about conserving resources, especially in a state that has a
reputation for environmentalism.
During the years between 2012 and 2018,
county-wide transit ridership decreased from
5,465,542 annual riders to 5,048,512. Meanwhile,
69% of workers in 2018 drove alone to work, a
dip of 1.1% from 2012. Again, this is an area for
further investigation regarding the factors leading
to these changes and what can be done to transform transportation habits into those that are
more environmentally responsible.
Poor air quality is harmful to people and can
cause a variety of environmental problems, such
as effects on wildlife, ozone depletion, and global
climate change.
40
Some groups of people are
especially sensitive to poor air quality, including
those with asthma, heart disease, and COPD
(long-term lung disease).
41
Outdoor air quality
has improved since the 1990s, but many air quality problems persist. Ground-level ozone, the
main part of smog, and particle pollution are two
of the many threats to air quality and public
health in the United States.
42
6.6
A Detailed Example:
Improving the Lives
of Children and Youth
Grown out of a response to CAP findings, the
County’s Youth Violence Prevention Task Force
(YVPTF) was formed in late 2012 to assess and
40 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of
Energy and Environmental Affairs, Department of
Environmental Protection. Accessed September 2016
from
http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dep/air/aq/healthand-env-effects-air-pollutions.pdf
41 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Air Quality.
http://www.cdc.gov/air/
42 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Air Quality.
http://www.cdc.gov/air/
6 How Local Communities Can Align with United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals: A Santa Cruz…
vention, intervention, and suppression efforts
works better than suppression efforts alone.
37
Youth who have been involved with the juvenile justice system are at increased risk of substance abuse, injury, and negative educational
impacts. Many factors have been noted as contributing to crime among youth, including poverty, exposure to violence, maltreatment,
substance abuse, and mental illness.
38
Youth who
have spent time in detention are more likely to
engage in criminal behavior as adults and experience increased rates of attempted suicide and
other mental health disorders.
39
To address these particular issues, local groups
established the Youth Violence Prevention Task
Force as a way to build better relationships and
improve trust among young people, adults, and
law enforcement. Recently, several facilitated
dialogs were held in each law enforcement jurisdiction so youth, adults, and police could engage
in honest discourse about their challenges, opportunities, local experiences, and other issues that
may prevent collaboration on community safety.
As expected, some discussions were difficult, but
they were successful in helping each group better
understand the others.
The 2019 CAP report shows that the crime
rate in Santa Cruz County has decreased from
36.9 per 1000 residents in 2012 to 31.2 per 1000
residents in 2018. Although this is encouraging,
the rate is still slightly higher than California as a
whole (28.5 per 1000 residents). However, the
homicide rate for the County has dropped from
4.5 per 100,000 people in 2012 to 2.3 per 100,000
people in 2017. This is lower than the California
rate of 5.2 per 100,000.
37 Howell, J. C. (2007). Menacing or mimicking? Realities
of youth gangs. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 58(2),
39–50. Retrieved from: http://www.nationalgangcenter.
gov/Content/Documents/Menacing-or-Mimicking.pdf
38 Juvenile Arrests Summary – Kidsdata.org. Kidsdata.
org. Available at: http://www.kidsdata.org/topic/30/juvenile-arrests/summary#jump=why-important. Accessed
November 23, 2015.
39 Prevent Juvenile Delinquency. Policy for Results 2015.
Available at: http://www.policyforresults.org/youth/prevent-juvenile-delinquency. Accessed November 23, 2015.
Regarding the Natural Environment, the CAP
reports that water use per person has increased
between 2015 and 2018. In addition, county residents have increased the amount of trash per person between 2011 and 2017. California likewise
has increased in the same time period. It’s apparent that residents need more education about conserving resources, especially in a state that has a
reputation for environmentalism.
During the years between 2012 and 2018,
county-wide transit ridership decreased from
5,465,542 annual riders to 5,048,512. Meanwhile,
69% of workers in 2018 drove alone to work, a
dip of 1.1% from 2012. Again, this is an area for
further investigation regarding the factors leading
to these changes and what can be done to transform transportation habits into those that are
more environmentally responsible.
Poor air quality is harmful to people and can
cause a variety of environmental problems, such
as effects on wildlife, ozone depletion, and global
climate change.
40
Some groups of people are
especially sensitive to poor air quality, including
those with asthma, heart disease, and COPD
(long-term lung disease).
41
Outdoor air quality
has improved since the 1990s, but many air quality problems persist. Ground-level ozone, the
main part of smog, and particle pollution are two
of the many threats to air quality and public
health in the United States.
42
6.6
A Detailed Example:
Improving the Lives
of Children and Youth
Grown out of a response to CAP findings, the
County’s Youth Violence Prevention Task Force
(YVPTF) was formed in late 2012 to assess and
40 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of
Energy and Environmental Affairs, Department of
Environmental Protection. Accessed September 2016
from
http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dep/air/aq/healthand-env-effects-air-pollutions.pdf
41 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Air Quality.
http://www.cdc.gov/air/
42 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Air Quality.
http://www.cdc.gov/air/
6 How Local Communities Can Align with United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals: A Santa Cruz…