Raised $6067
Earlier this year a group of young men was beaten up on the streets of Denver after leaving a downtown bar. I knew one of the victims and while he was able to get away a friend of his ended up in the hospital. The police called it a possible ‘gang’ initiation.
Gang violence has ebbed and flowed in Denver over the years. One of the deadliest peaks took place in 1993 and is referred to as the ‘summer of violence’. 74 people were killed that year – many due to gang activity. Then-governor Roy Romer called a special session that resulted in 10 bills on youth violence being passed. This helped to curb the violence over the following years leading to an all-time low homicide rate in 2010.
Over the last few years, however, the violence has been creeping back up. 2015 saw a 9-year high homicide rate of 50 killed on Denver streets. Much of the violence started when a rap artist was slain outside a nightclub near Mile High Stadium. The ensuing back and forth gang retaliation led to 23 gang-related homicides including three killed in a 48 hour period.
2017 started off with a flare-up of crimes in the first three months. One weekend alone saw four homicides, three of which were gang-related. The possibility of another deadly summer was feared. However, the strong response of communities and one of the largest federal drug enforcement actions in the past decade which took down 52 members of the East Side Crips led to a surprisingly quiet summer.
Gang violence is up around our country even as overall violence is down. There are roughly 25,000 gangs nationally with membership believed to be around 1.15 million. In Chicago, there are 100,000 gang members in 59 different gangs with only 12,000 in the local police force. It’s no wonder the police are fighting an uphill battle.
Gangs exist in Denver and combatting them is a constant battle. We have are our own homegrown gangs as well as those that migrate from Chicago and LA. In order to survive, gangs are constantly needing to recruit.
Street Fraternity, our 2017 CollectivePower beneficiary, is a “place of brotherhood and personal growth for urban young men”. They provide a place for men from the ages of 14-24 to blow off steam, meet mentors, get a warm meal, contemplate a future and build positive relationships.
They say it takes a community. Let’s come together and provide a positive community for these young men.