Steve Nawojczyk: Gang, Teen Violence Training Expert
Steve Nawojczyk (nuh VOY check) began his public service career thirty (30) years ago when he was named the youngest director of one of the first municipally operated ambulance services in the state of Arkansas, a position he held for seven (7) years. During his tenure, the ambulance service received the highest honors available for patient care and operations by the Department of Health. He was elected to serve as the coroner in two of Arkansas' most populated counties and served two years as the director of the Arkansas State Crime Lab, having been appointed by Governor Bill Clinton. He has over 20 years of death investigation experience and routinely instructed at the state and local police academies on the topics of investigation and non-traditional juvenile groups.
Mr. Nawojczyk has served on numerous public commissions and boards having to do with both death investigation and emergency medical services.
Upon his retirement as the coroner in Pulaski County (Little Rock area) he began a research and lecture tour dealing with juvenile violence and gangs. He has spoken in over 35 states to various groups and has developed a highly acclaimed student assembly on non-violence which has been seen by over 200,000 students nationwide. Mr. Nawojczyk maintains a heavily visited website at: www.GangWar.com.
Nawojczyk's work with gangs was featured in the award-winning HBO America Undercover documentary, Gang War: Bangin' in Little Rock, and he was a co-producer of Back in the Hood: Gang War 2. He is one of the nation's most sought after and quoted educators on juvenile violence and gangs, and how communities can deal with them. His lectures are frequently labeled "Best in Show" and he is often invited back to make follow-up presentations due to attendee feedback.
In 2001 he began work as Administrator of the Youth Services Division of the Mayor's Office in North Little Rock, Arkansas, where his duties included monitoring youth activities and overseeing an award-winning residential drug treatment facility for pregnant women, one of only a few in the nation which kept the family intact while they receive treatment. In 2002 he was honored as the "Outstanding Community Leader of the Year" by the Arkansas School of Religious Studies for his work with this program. In 2003, Nawojczyk was given the Juvenile Justice Advocate of the Year award by the Arkansas Coalition for Juvenile Justice and the Arkansas School Counselor Association's Writing and Research Award. In 2004, he was named to the City Year Little Rock board of directors.
Additional Information:
Nawojczyk has served as an advisor to the Arkansas Attorney General's task force, the US Army War College, U.S. Army Chaplain Corps, Purdue University, Ohio State University, the National Association of Attorneys General, the Arkansas and Georgia governor's offices, the Utah Attorney General and the New York general assembly among many other police, government agencies and schools.
In addition to HBO, he has also been featured by: PBS's Jobs: A Way Out?, ESPN's Outside The Lines: Gangs vs. Sports, Larry King Live, NPR, the Health Network, the BBC and numerous other local and national print and electronic media. He is frequently asked to assist in productions of various kinds about gangs and violence including: NYPD Blue, CSI: New York, CBS News Up to the Minute, Judge Hatchett, Donahue, Jenny Jones and others both in the United States and worldwide.
Programs
Do Right
This program is presented in an assembly format to students ages 12 and up and is approximately 45-50 minutes in length. It is a straight forward, thought provoking, and realistic look at the dangers and consequences of gang involvement, encourages the "good" kids to become a part of the solution and resolve conflicts without violence. The success of this program has been directly attributed to the fact that many of the kids, literally across the country, have seen Gang War: Bangin' in Little Rock and know about Steve's work.
Juvenile Violence: Symptoms & Solutions
This program is recommended to be held in the evening following the student presentations. It has been designed as a "wake-up" call for parents and focuses on community solutions. It is ninety minutes in length and has been modified from the in-service adults-only program detailed below to allow the kids age 12 and up to participate with their parents. Without exception, the parents are quite shocked when they discover just how much the kids know, whether they are involved in youth gang activity or not. The programs addresses the warning signs and identifiers and showcases programs which are successful in other communities.
Street Gang Dynamics - Teacher In-Service
This in-service training program for adults only is available to educators, counselors, law enforcement and others who have an interest in or deal directly with youth. Topics for discussion will include history and identification of gang sets, profiling gang recruits, gang recruiting practices, hand signs, graffiti interpretation and possible community solutions. This program can be tailored to fit your time constraints, but normally lasts 4 hours.
"Thank you for your excellent presentation to the Adjutants General National Security Seminar on October 25, 1994. Your insights on the dynamics of street gangs were well received by the seminar participants. Your lecture was timely, thorough and exceptionally thought provoking and set the stage for additional discussion within the group. We look forward to your return to the Army War College in the future." John F. Connelly, Colonel, U.S. Army Acting Commandant U. S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania