Preventing and reducing gun violence at the neighborhood-level by changing local norms and offering opportunities for youth.
Save Our Streets (S.O.S.) uses a model of violence interrupters with first-hand knowledge of street and gang life who use their credibility and relationships to mediate conflicts before they escalate.
With on-the-ground presence in Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, and the Bronx neighborhoods of the South Bronx (Mott Haven) and Morrisania, this model helps prevent and reduce gun violence in neighborhoods. The program runs in deep partnership with local organizations and faith leaders, who participate in frequent community events and rapid responses to individual shootings, sending the message that the community will not tolerate violence.
S.O.S. is modelled on the Cure Violence approach first pioneered in Chicago. With a focus on prevention. S.O.S. outreach workers attempt to defuse conflicts before they erupt into violence. Program staff also work to address the traumatic effects of experiencing violence on young men of color and act as mentors to those at risk of perpetrating or being the victims of violence. The goal is to help participants make behavioral changes by providing them with services and links to meaningful educational and employment opportunities.
S.O.S. staff are a highly-visible presence in their communities, working closely with neighborhood leaders and businesses to reject gun violence.
An evaluation of S.O.S. in Crown Heights, Brooklyn found it had a significant positive impact on the rate of gun violence in the area relative to neighboring, comparable areas where no such program existed.
