Save Our Streets

One of our newest projects is Save Our Streets, an anti-violence campaign launched by the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center. With the help of a grant from the Department of Justice, we are attempting to replicate the Ceasefire model from Chicago, which essentially argues that gun violence should be treated like a public health problem. The program has several key components. One component involves sending credible messengers (i.e. individuals with their own history of criminal involvement) out into the neighborhood to intervene and defuse tension whenever a shooting occurs. Another component involves organizing community protests after every shooting to send a message that local residents will not accept violence on their streets. For a glimpse of what this looks like, check out this blog posting.