Community engagement involves sharing information and educating residents about gangs and crime in order to develop trust and communication between residents, law enforcement, faith-based leaders, and social agencies that work in their neighborhoods. Extensive collaborations with law enforcement and community-based organizations further strengthen Safe Streets Initiative sponsored community engagement programs. Depending on the needs of the targeted neighborhood, community coordinators develop forums to educate residents about local issues. Being versed in gang and local issues, community coordinators offer a wealth of information and because of their relationships with an extensive variety of resource providers have the ability to refer people to much needed services.

Community engagement programs can include presentations about gang activity to parents and faculty at a local school, circles with at-risk youth, educational forums about how to report crime, mentorship with a young person dealing with gang issues, advocacy for loved ones of those incarcerated, and mediation on a limited basis. To learn more about Community Engagement through the Safe Streets Initiative please contact one of the community coordinators under the Contact Us page.