In some of Baltimore's most troubled communities, crime and distrust of police run high. Insecure young men involved in disputes feel that their only recourse is retaliation - shoot or be shot. Since 2007, a program called Safe Streets has placed ex-offenders in the role of peacemakers, using their street credibility and contacts to reach out to those involved and mediate those conflicts. Outreach workers, who are trained in the concepts of the original Chicago-based CeaseFire program, say they've negotiated peace treaties between gangs and calmed countless disputes that appeared headed toward a deadly resolution. They help those who want to turn their life around connect with resources, but the main goal is to avoid shootings and violence.
The program is now at a crossroads. Its funding has been suspended by Mayor Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake pending a review after a man involved in similar but unrelated gang intervention efforts was charged by federal prosecutors with using the work as a front for gang activity. In accompanying court papers, an allegation was made that Safe Streets was "controlled" by the Black Guerilla Family, a powerful gang that is earning a reputation for latching on to legitimate enterprises.
I was already working on a profile of the East Baltimore Safe Streets program when this news hit last week. This weekend's story explores how they work, and the real questions that have arisen over the past several months. There's also a sidebar recounting one of the outreach supervisor's story of avoiding violence when he was moments away from avenging his brother's death.
Dante Barksdale, one of the outreach workers, told me at Friday's rally that he was standing outside their Monument Street office when a young boy walked up and pulled at the locked door (the office has computers and workout equipment and is open late, a safe place for kids to hang out). Barksdale told him they were closed. "Safe Streets can't be closed," the boy replied.
Required reading: a detailed evaluation of the Chicago CeaseFire program.
Urbanite magazine's profile of Safe Streets from May 2008.