In June 2007, 17 year-old Biniam Yifru was killed while attending a high school graduation party in Union City, CA. Yifru’s death sent a shock wave through the community, activating members of PICO affiliate Congregations Organizing for Renewal (COR) to take action to address the rising youth violence in south Alameda County.

Over the past eight months, leaders from COR have teamed up with youth advocate organizations to work with Union City city and school district officials to implement new strategies to end youth violence. A second shooting of a 14 year-old boy outside of his middle school in December prompted COR leaders to call for a Special City Council Work Session, the first such work session ever called for by an outside organization.

On January 29, over 500 community members attended the work session, together with the Union City city council, the city manager, the police chief, the school superintendent, and many principals. At the work session, COR and its allies proposed that the city create a new office of Youth and Family Services to coordinate youth violence prevention & intervention strategies, fund street outreach teams, create a new job placement coordinator position, and provide additional after school opportunities.

Over the past month, COR and its allies have moved all of these proposals forward, including unanimous approval from city council for a public safety parcel tax that will raise $500,000 to fund youth programming, crime data analysis, and counseling programs; the creation of a new department of Youth and Family Services to coordinate outreach efforts; $50,000 for middle school after school activities; and a commitment from school district officials to implement small learning communities in all middle schools in 2008-09. The school district is also researching alternatives to their traditional practice of suspension, including providing students who otherwise would be suspended with training in the area of anger management and conflict resolution. 

Media Coverage
Union City votes to move youth services