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| Housing |
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By using predictive analysis of eviction data from New York City’s Department of Homeless Services, city officials are working to better identify individuals and families at the greatest risk of becoming homeless. In an effort to intervene before residents are turned out on the streets, the city is working with big data nonprofit SumAll.org to create an algorithm that helps find families in peril of eviction and target social services accordingly. Real-time visualizations of neighborhood eviction hotspots will allow social workers to provide those in need with information on legal services and housing programs within the window between first court filings and actual removal from the home.
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| Technology |
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California is set to begin an electronic license plate pilot program by 2017. Although the details of the program have yet to be established, the technology will likely consist of a computer screen that takes on the appearance of a standard California license plate. The e-plate may also be used for other postings, such as Amber Alerts or the text “stolen” if the vehicle has been taken from its owner. It is expected that an electronic solution would reduce DMV expenditures on vehicle registration processing and mailing; instead, the agency could electronically issue updated stickers and registration cards. While the pilot program is voluntary and safeguards are being put into place to protect information regarding a driver’s location, privacy advocates are expressing concerns.
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| Policing & Crime Prevention |
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The Washington State Criminal Justice Commission, which trains police recruits, is spearheading a fundamental change in police training, shifting away from a “warrior” model to a Platonic “guardian” model that teaches a gentler approach to protecting communities. Aside from learning the basics of police work and law enforcement, officers learn and practice the principles of “L.E.E.D.” (Listen, Explain, Equity and Dignity), which put an emphasis on empathy, verbal skills, de-escalation techniques, and behavioral psychology as tools to gain voluntary compliance in tense situations.
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| Emergency Management |
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New York State has established the Citizen Preparedness Corps Training Program with the goal of teaching approximately 100,000 residents how to be “first responders” in their homes and for their communities. Participants learn how to respond to various types of emergencies, create family emergency and evacuation plans, perform home safety inspections, and acquire proper emergency supplies. The New York National Guard and other state and federal partners manage the program.
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| Juvenile Justice |
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In Florida, Broward County Public Schools has reached an agreement with law enforcement agencies and the NAACP to stem the “school-to-prison pipeline” by reducing the number of students arrested for minor offenses. Under the new policy that went into effect this academic year, district officials and school resource officers follow set procedures when a student misbehaves. For nonviolent misdemeanors, administrators will try to resolve the situation without an arrest through various alternatives such as having the youth participate in a weeklong counseling program. Further offenses will result in graduated levels of school-based interventions; after a fifth incident, students are referred to law enforcement. This alternative to zero-tolerance policies has led to a sharp decline in school-related arrests.
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| Economic Development |
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To help boost consumer spending in local businesses, the city of New Haven, Connecticut, has unveiled a credit/debit-based gift card, cobranded with Discover, that is accepted in shops, theaters, hotels, and restaurants, as well as parking meters and city garages. Shop·Dine·Park cardholders are also eligible for coupons and discounts. The inspiration for the program is mall gift cards, which can be redeemed at any store in a mall; in this case, however, the mall is the entire city of New Haven.
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| How Washington, D.C., Is Working to Nourish Its Hidden Assets |
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Washington, D.C., is using a variety of novel approaches to leverage the tech sector and diversify a government-dependent economy. Striking that critical balance—between targeting particular industries while remaining permeable and inclusive and appropriately sharing risk with the startup community—is always a challenge. D.C. will be a city to watch as it tries to build something new that grows out of the city's long-standing identity.
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| Government's Challenge: Building Its Crucial IT Workforce |
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To match the private sector in the competition for technology talent, public leaders need to think and act innovatively. The public sector needs the next generation, with its spirit of connectivity and technological savvy, and must invest in those who do answer the call.
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| A Cost-Effective Way to Rebuild 500 Bridges |
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In leveraging public-private partnerships to replace many of its deficient bridges, Pennsylvania's new approach is realistic about the true costs of a transportation asset.
Newsletter produced by: Jessica Engelman, editor; Brendan St. Amant, researcher and writer.
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About the Ash Center
The Roy and Lila Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation advances excellence in governance and strengthens democratic institutions worldwide. Through its research, education, international programs, and government innovations awards, the Center fosters creative and effective problem solving and serves as a catalyst for addressing many of the most pressing needs of the world's citizens. The Ford Foundation is a founding donor of the Center. Additional information about the Ash Center is available at http://ash.harvard.edu.
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