Stockton program would pay men not to shoot each other

Stockton program would pay men not to shoot each other

Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs condemned the violence in the city over the weekend and is considering a couple different ways to combat crime, including one that pays people not to commit crimes.

There were four homicides in Stockton between Monday and Wednesday night, bringing the total number of killings in the city to more than 24.

Tubbs released a statement Wednesday night after the string of violence.

"All life is sacred and even one homicide is too many ... overall, crime continues to trend downward but we must remain vigilant," Tubbs said.

The city is exploring a couple options in the hopes of curbing the number of violent crimes in the city.

The first option is out of Detroit called Project Greenlight. In this situation, live cameras would be set up inside and outside of businesses in Stockton, and the cameras would be monitored in real-time from the police headquarters.

The second option out of the Bay Area is more controversial. Richmond's Advance Peace uses taxpayer dollars to pay men with firearm history to not shoot guns.

In exchange, the men can participate in adult fellowship, mentorships and job opportunity programs.

In a Facebook post Thursday, Tubbs explained Stockton's version of Advance Peace would not exclusively use taxpayer dollars.

"Before implementing a program like Advance Peace, I would seek philanthropic dollars and not general funds," Tubbs said in the post. "This program has shown success in reducing violent crime. This is just one suggested approached towards improving public safety."

While the program has shown some success at decreasing violence in Richmond, it's unclear how sustainable to program can be in Stockton.

"I am always looking for solutions and researching innovative ways and to help curb crime in our city," Tubbs said in Thursday's post. "Making Stockton safer is a key priority for me as your mayor."