Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 2419 APRIL 2017 BODY OF CHRIST NEWS term sustainability around GRID’s work by transforming the program into a public safety agency. He also credits the mayor and his administration for taking an active role in helping to suppress instanc- es of gang violence that have flared up in Denver. In 2015, Mayor Hancock assem- bled an “impact team” of city employees from various depart- ments to explore additional ways to fight gang crime and keep Denver’s neighborhoods safe. At the time, the city was grappling with a cycle of gang retaliation that was putting the community’s safety at risk. The mayor and Executive Director O’Malley also issued a call to action to the faith-based community. According to Callanan, churches were very responsive to the mayor’s call and they stepped up to the plate in a great way. “Some churches held basketball tournaments or led prayer walks through the community. Others provided programming for youth and young adults. And several churches worked with us to make their existing efforts more effec- tive.” Today, the faith-based communi- ty remains an active partner. They have been working with GRID to rollout a “safe haven” project this summer. The project is a partner- ship between GRID, mental health specialists, and 30 churches that have agreed to serve as safe havens in the community when a critical gang-related incident occurs. “Incidents of gang violence can cause secondary trauma and we recognized the need to create safe places throughout the city where community members can go and receive support services from men- tal health experts and trained church staff,” said Callanan. GRID is also working with the Denver Police Department to devel- op gang suppression and preven- tion strategies for specific gang activity occurring in individu- al police districts. Callanan has worked to address gang violence in other cities and says this collabora- tion isn’t always the norm. “When you approach police departments and ask them to share their data and work with you on effective strategies, they aren’t always receptive. We haven’t had that experience in Denver. From the very beginning, Chief White has been a big supporter of our work.” Chief White says he values the police department’s partnership with GRID and he has no problem sharing data and information with the agency. “GRID is a great thought partner and we’ve used several of their ideas to enhance our efforts to combat gang crime. We will contin- ue to invite them to the table every week and do our part to support Denver’s comprehensive approach to gang reduction.” GANG ... from page 18