VAN NUYS COMMUNITY COURT

Motion - The Van Nuys Community Court opened in May 2001, making it the first post-criminal filing Community Court program in the State of California. The Van Nuys Community Court is a problem-solving / collaborative court that links misdemeanor adjudication with social service intervention and neighborhood restoration in the Van Nuys community. The development of the Community Court program was based on a number of needs demonstrated in Van Nuys. There were a vast number of low level, or quality-of-life crimes, that were not being addressed by the overburdened police and court systems. Moreover, the community and elected officials held a desire to get "to the core" of the problems, and why people commit crimes in the first place. The community had realized that to respond only with punitive measures was not the solution for offenders, the community, and the future of Van Nuys. Prior Council action (CF 99-1571) initiated the creation of the Community Court on a pilot basis. The program has proven to be successful and merits a review of potential funding sources to keep the program going. THEREFORE MOVE that Chief Legislative Analyst, City Administrative Officer and Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice Planning be requested to review potential funding sources in the amount of $170,000 for a one year extension, while the Community Court identifies a permanent funding source. This review should also include possible identification of County funding sources for this collaborative project.

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