Volunteers of America Los Angeles Newton Youth Gang Suppression Program

The Youth Gang Suppression Implementation Grants Program is designed to reduce violent crime, gangs, and youth victimization, while enhancing public safety in communities by utilizing gang suppression efforts for at risk and gang involved youth.

Volunteers of America of Los Angeles (VOALA), in close collaboration with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Newton Division, will implement a comprehensive, collaborative youth gang suppression program targeting gang-involved youth (age 17 and younger) in the Newton region in the city of Los Angeles. Located in historic South Central, gang violence has been a problem for decades. VOALA will address the rampant gang violence in the Newton region by collaborating with the LAPD to identify gang-involved youth (age 17 and younger).

VOALA’s Youth Gang Suppression programming will be delivered with a three-pronged approach: immediate incident response, community engagement, and proactive peacekeeping to provide specialized, street-based mediation to identify gang-involved youth and stop or prevent violence; partnership with law enforcement; and services to provide redirection and support to gang members (and their families) who are seeking to leave the gang (including assessments, individual and group trauma-informed case management, social activities, support groups, restorative justice programming, and indigenous healing practices). The project incorporates several evidence-based practices, including Positive Youth Development, Trauma Informed Care, and Motivational Interviewing, as well as VOALA’s internally developed resilience and empowerment curriculum, Storywork. Through these services, VOALA will accomplish the goal of supporting the Newton community in developing evidence-based suppression strategies for gang-involved youth or youth at risk of becoming gang involved. The project will involve collaboration with the LAPD and the Los Angeles GRYD Collaborative.

CA/NCF