Goal: Obtain community buy-in.
DMI is a partnership that includes the community. The community will play a very important role in conveying the message that drug dealing will no longer be tolerated in the neighborhood. Often times, the police flood an area, make arrests, leave the area, and business goes back to the way it was before the flood. This is the community's chance to take back their neighborhood and keep it with the support of the police and each other. Think about planning for the needs of the community in immediate, intermediate and long term steps. The community is more likely to report drug dealing and other crimes if they know they are backed by the police, the prosecutor, and the city. The hard part is going to be convincing community members that the police will not be leaving them and that they are in this for the long haul. The Chicago (IL) DMI team notes how significant it was for them to get the 'right' community partner, in their case a local minister with strong community ties. They were able to build on the minister's connections with the local schools to mobilize community involvement and resources.
Step 5a: Set the Call-In Time and Place
Goal: Identify police district headquarters or other appropriate location in the target area at which to hold the call-in.
The majority of sites have held their call-ins at police stations. Others have used local schools or churches within the target area. Some sites prefer the message a police station sends to call-in participants. Others like them for security reasons or the availability of metal detectors. In other communities, officials prefer the symbolic message of holding the meeting in a community setting such as a community center, church or library. This is an issue that should be discussed early among team members.
Goal: Identify 'influential' people in each targeted offender's life.
The influentials fulfill several roles. First, they can be instrumental in persuading the offender to attend the meeting. They can re-assure the offender that they will not be arrested when they attend. It is also an important opportunity to involve influentials who may be able to exert a pro-social influence on the offender after the call-in meeting occurs.
Step 6a: Contact Call-in Candidates
Goal: Send letter to Call-In candidates.
It will be the job of those people making contact with the call-in invitees and their influentials to convincingly convey that the invitation is not a trap. Most sites have a written letter from the Chief of Police stating this is not a trick. The high percentage of invitees that actually attend the call-in demonstrates that this message is believable.
Back to The Process