Today, a conversation about Safe Streets, a program that uses the street wisdom of former felons and reformed gang members to fight the epidemic of gun violence in some of Baltimore’s most dangerous neighborhoods. The concept was inspired by a similar program in Chicago called Ceasefire. Community outreach workers known as "violence interrupters" patrol neighborhoods, interacting with residents and stepping in to mediate tense conflicts before they escalate to violence. Many of the violence interrupters have criminal records and gang ties, and all of them have credible reputations on the streets, an aspect that proves important when stepping into potentially violent situations. 

Advocates of Safe Streets say the program has dramatically reduced violent crime in the four community sites it’s operating in, McElderry Park, Cherry Hill, Mondawmin, and Park Heights. In 2015, Safe Streets outreach workers mediated nearly 700 conflicts, 80 percent of which were deemed “likely” or “very likely” to have resulted in gun violence.

Listen to the entire radio audio.