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Bobby Kipper is founder of the National Center for the Prevention of Community Violence. He is a battle-hardened ex-cop with a quarter century of community policing in one of America’s toughest gang environments. Kipper organized one of the most effective crime prevention programs ever developed by the Justice Department. He has consulted for the White House, for Congress, for governors and for communities across the nation.Bud Ramey is the 2010 Public Affairs Silver Anvil Award winner of the Public Relations Society of America - the highest public affairs recognition in the world. His grassroots public affairs and humanitarian successes stretch across three decades.

• DedicationForewordPart One: AMERICA’S NIGHTMAREThe ProblemThe DenialWhy Now?Just How Bad Can This Get?How Are Communities Responding?What Is WorkingPart Two: 100 TACTICS FOR SAVING YOUR COMMUNITY FROM GANGS1 Proclaim a New Social Norm: Citizens Set the StrategyExecutive Summary2 Face Down Community Denial3 Develop Overall Community Ownership of the Plan4 “View the Seeds of the Problem”5 Pick a Civic Group Champion6 Empower Your Mayor to Lead — Or Elect a New One Who Will7 Reach Deep into the Community for Your Plan 8 Separate, Empower the Operational Council9 Focus on the Worst Problems First 10 Create the Vision and Clear Goals 11 Tear Down the Walls — Relationships Matter12 Fund Measured Programs That Work 13 Expect Resistance after Years of Heads Buried in the Sand14 Harness Faith-Based Interventions15 Set Clear Goals from 10,000 Feet16 Measurement Is Everything — Indicators to Steer By17 Assure an Independent Audit18 Conduct Baseline Survey of Student Perceptions19 Make Sure the News Media Understands20 Train Community Leaders as well as the Providers21 Communicate Aggressively, Continuously 22 Partner with Your Local University23 Reconnect Community and Schools24 Publish a Gang Awareness Resource to the Community25 Expand After School Activities, Police Athletic League26 Seed Each High School with Student Leaders Trained in Mediation,Inclusiveness, Race Relations, Non-Violence27 Let the Kids Design “Stop Bullying” Programs28 Small School Efforts Pay Dividends29 Deflect Violence with Non-confrontational Conversations30 Create Safe Street Teams31 Camps Build Trust with Police32 Deliver Creative School Interventions in Elementary,Middle and High School33 Gang Exit Centers – Rescuing Kids from Gangs34 Middle Schoolers Targeted as Key Rural Strategy35 Generate Amazing Results with Restorative Justice in Schools36 Teach Business English, Social Skills in Elementary School37 Take Truancy Interventions to the Homes38 Go With Special Efforts to Target Hard to Reach Hispanic Youth39 Train School Board Members and “Student Advocates”40 De-Glamorize Gang Culture41 Consider Fifteen Absolutely Essential School Anti-Gang Initiatives42 Challenge and Reward At-Risk Elementary and Middle School Kids Directly43 D.A.R.E. Works – Bring It Back. Strengthen It.44 Deploy the Boys & Girls Clubs in Targeted Schools45 Lights On After School46 Remove Graffiti Immediately47 HireAt-RiskYouth48 GPS Gang Members like High-risk Sex Offenders49 Hold Regular Gang Prevention Community Meetings50 Engineer Second Chances for Exiting Gang Members51 Bring Civil Suits Against Gang Members52 Open and Program Your Recreation Centers at Night53 Send a Strong Message to Teens That They Are Important to the Community54 Develop a Support Program for Parents of Gang Members55 Create a Youth-Led Movement Against Violence56 Use Great Resources Well – But Don’t Over Complicate Your Plan57 Strengthen Prevention with the Arts58 Cool Bus Picks Up Kids for After School Activities59 Create Interventions for the 19- to 25-Year-Olds60 Proclaim Youth Violence Prevention Week61 Create a Funding Strategy and Build Neighborhood Centers62 Operate a Confidential Telephone Tip Line63 Develop Violent Crime Suppression Teams64 Operate a Confidential Texting Program65 Create Sporting Events Especially for At-Risk Kids6 Bring in the Hospitals for Powerful Interventions67 Form a Prisoner Re-entry Council68 Create a Focused Strike Team for a Hardened Base of Crime69 Work with Your State Elected Officials.Much Can Be Done70 Create Special Events to Raise Funds and Awareness71 Get Business Fired Up72 Study CeaseFire as a Strategic Option73 Mainstream At-Risk Kids into Normal Channels74 Create a Season of Peace Campaign75 Offer Life Altering Tattoo Removal76 Call in a Warning to the Gang Leaders77 Enforce Curfew with Sweeps78 Get At-Risk Kids into Outdoor Adventure, Exploration79 Create Robust Summer Activities, Jobs for At-Risk Kids80 Insist On a Planned Budget for Gang Prevention Strategy81 Nurture Growth of Neighborhood Crime Watch Programs82 Set Up Family Days and Neighborhood Nights83 Explain the Situation in Detail to Your Citizens84 Quit Imprisoning Nonviolent Offenders85 Work Closely with Neighboring Jurisdictions86 Know At-Risk Kids by Name87 Promote Your Initiatives Using Websites and Social Media88 Expand the Role of Police with Community Policing89 Deploy Prosecutors in the Neighborhoods with Community Prosecution90 Call for Injunctions Against Specific Gangs 91 Don’t Let Gangs Take Over Your Shopping Mall92 Check your State Gang Statutes –Prosecute Gang Recruitment93 Cultural Targeting of Parenting Classes Creates Support Groups94 Consider the Judicial Innovation of Community Courts95 Attack Poverty’s Impact on Young People with a Youth Enrichment Zone96 Share, Communicate, Cooperate with Regional Gang Summits97 HouseCalls98 Confront Gangs with a Trained Ministers Ride-Along Campaign99 Walking School Bus Creates Safer Neighborhoods100 Honor the Heroes – Create Peace Prize for InterventionistsEndnotesBibliographyAbout the Authors