This neighborhood initiative engages residents from Sobrante Park in community-strengthening efforts such as neighbor-to-neighbor bartering and youth economic development programs. Evaluation shows a more than 40-percent reduction in Sobrante Park’s violent crime between 2004 and 2007, even as overall rates of violent crime in Oakland increased. 4
Community engagement also provides opportunities for community members to voice their concerns and engage with local leaders, empowering them to become involved in the decision making process that affects their own neighborhoods.