After serving seven years in prison, Cushi Robinson returned to Stockton earlier this year facing the challenge of rebuilding his life.

He was struggling with homelessness and trying to get back on his feet when he connected with the city’s Office of Violence Prevention (OVP). Outreach workers from the department, known as Peacekeepers, helped him obtain identification documents, secure housing and prepare a résumé. He is now working toward his high school diploma and has reunited with his partner, whom he married.

“I will never forget this,” Robinson told the Peacekeepers during a presentation on the department’s work at Tuesday’s Stockton City Council meeting. “Y’all really do help me a lot, and I appreciate it.”

Robinson’s story was among several shared during the presentation, which highlighted the office’s efforts to prevent gun and gang violence through community outreach, conflict mediation, emergency housing and case management.

The department also reported a decline in repeat arrests among its clients, with a 14% recidivism rate in 2025, compared with 28% in 2024. Director Lora Larson said a 2024 evaluation by criminologist Anthony Braga found that individuals who received Ceasefire messaging and participated in programming were 40% less likely to be shot again than those who declined services.

The presentation came as city officials point to a recent decline in homicides. Stockton recorded no homicides in October, according to police officials, marking the first month without a homicide since January 2019.

“We know and stats show us that you cannot arrest your way out of the crime happening in our communities,” Larson said. “If you want people to engage in behavior changes, you must also help them change those behaviors.”

A two-pronged approach to violence prevention

The department operates under the Ceasefire model, a two-pronged approach adopted by the city in 2012 that combines law enforcement efforts with community-based intervention and prevention services.

Under the model, law enforcement identifies individuals considered at high risk of involvement in gun and gang violence, connects them with resources and warns them about the consequences of continued criminal activity.

The OVP focuses on individuals already involved in violence or considered at risk of becoming involved.

OVP Program Manager Robert Mosqueda said during the presentation that a 2018 analysis by the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform helped the department identify the population most in need of its services.

The department’s target population includes people ages 12 to 35 who may have dropped out of high school, be affiliated with a gang, have been shot or shot at, have prior involvement with the justice system or face gun-related activity and safety concerns.

Mosqueda said the analysis also identified underlying challenges affecting those individuals, including unemployment, unstable housing, food insecurity and untreated trauma.

Addressing those needs is central to the department’s approach. Staff connect participants with housing assistance, employment opportunities, educational services, mental health resources and other support intended to help them move away from violence and criminal activity.

The department also responds to shootings, works to prevent retaliatory violence and connects victims and their families with resources.

Its funding comes from a combination of the city’s general fund; Measure A, which was extended by the Stockton City Council in 2023; an $8 million grant funded through Proposition 47 and a $2 million grant from the California Violence Intervention and Prevention Program (CalVIP).

The department has 17 city- and Measure A-funded employees, with an annual budget of approximately $2.2 million, Larson said. Two additional grants have brought seven more employees to the department.

Department highlights results of violence prevention work

During the presentation, staff highlighted the department’s work in 2025 and 2026, including 238 emergency and permanent housing placements, 121 shooting responses, 133 conflict mediations and 223 referral follow-ups. Staff also helped 268 participants obtain identification documents, driver’s licenses or birth certificates, while 45 participants earned a high school diploma or GED.

Larson said her staff’s work often begins within hours of a shooting, when outreach workers respond to hospitals and affected neighborhoods to assess the risk of retaliation and connect victims and families with support.

“All of this saves lives,” she said.

The department also conducts community outreach events, provides meals and groceries, and connects young people with sports, educational opportunities and other resources.

Outreach coordinator Antonio Hernandez said the goal is to build relationships with residents in neighborhoods affected by gun and gang violence and provide alternatives to criminal activity.

“More than just feeding the community, we go to the hot spots of Stockton, the places that regular citizens don’t want to go to,” he said.

The office also offers cognitive behavioral programming, group counseling and other trauma-informed services. Staff reported conducting 48 individual sessions and 44 group sessions, with a combined 442 participants.

Another component of the program is reflective travel, which gives participants opportunities to leave their neighborhoods and take part in activities such as skiing and fishing. Staff said 132 participants took part in those trips in 2025.

Outreach workers describe risks and rewards of violence prevention work

The presentation also highlighted the risks outreach workers face while responding to shootings and working in neighborhoods affected by violence.

Javier Torres, an outreach worker and peacekeeper, said he was shot while conducting a home visit on July 15. He returned to work after 40 days, driven by his passion for the work.

“That’s something that we face every day,” Torres said. “It could have happened to any one of us.”

Torres said the client he was visiting later called to apologize, explaining that unfamiliar vehicles had been driving past his home. His wife helped him realize he had been in the right place at the right time.

“Unfortunately, I got shot, but had I not been there, I truly believe that there could have been another homicide in Stockton,” Torres said.

Another staff member, Enrique Flores, spoke about his experience as a former program participant who grew up in south Stockton and later joined the office as an outreach worker and peacekeeper.

Although Flores said he was still new to his position, he described growing up in south Stockton amid gun and gang violence and receiving support from the department.

Flores said the consistent support he received from Peacekeepers, including mentors who checked on him and attended his basketball games, helped shape his life.

“There wasn’t one magical conversation that just changed everything,” Flores said. “It was just consistency.”

He said the experience influenced his decision to join the office and help other young people facing similar circumstances.

“A lot of the work that we do, we’re not able to see it happen the same day, the next day or the next month,” Flores said. “It’s a seed that grows. We plant the seed, we water it. As long as we keep watering it, eventually it’s going to grow. And as long as we’re taking care of it, it will flourish and become something that’s beautiful.”

Councilmembers praise department, urge continued support

After the OVP presentation, councilmembers praised the department’s work and emphasized the importance of maintaining its services.

District 5 Councilmember Brando Villapudua credited the department’s efforts with helping reduce homicides in the city this year.

“You guys got a lot to do with that,” he said.

District 6 Councilmember Jason Lee praised staff members who respond to shootings and work with residents in dangerous situations.

“You literally took a bullet for the city,” he told Torres.

Lee said the department’s work reminded him that, despite the council’s disagreements, city leaders must continue showing up every day.

Mayor Christina Fugazi praised peacekeepers for their consistent presence in the community, from attending high school football games to meeting people in need wherever they are.

“It’s not just a 9-to-5 job,” she said. “It’s 24/7, 365. You guys get a call, you’re gone, and when you’re not getting a call, you’re already out there in the first place, building those relationships, building that trust, and it’s what we need.”

David Sengthay, president of Stockton Democrats Together, also urged the council to plan for the department’s future funding, noting that much of its work relies on grants.

He specifically cited the $8 million Proposition 47 grant and $2 million CalVIP award, urging city leaders to ensure the department can continue its work after the funding expires.

“It goes without saying that everything here is political, and so is the work of OVP. It is imperative that we protect this work,” Sengthay said. “Please plan now so that these people can continue doing this work and can keep doing it even when the grants are over.”

The council received the presentation as an informational item. No action was taken.