Greater Kilby-Gardner-Hammond Neighborhood Gang Violence Reduction Initiative

The Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Justice Assistance Grant (BCJI – JAG) program was created to develop and implement place-based, community-oriented strategies to transform distressed communities into communities of opportunity. The Greater Kilby-Gardner-Hammond neighborhood of Worcester is perceived to be “gang territory” by area youth. Over 40% of the population is under the age of 24, unemployment is high, and median income is low. Only 13.7% of the population has obtained a college degree and 34.6% have not obtained a high school diploma. The public school system is also met with challenges including language access barriers and low reading levels. In collaboration with the Main South CDC, the Worcester Boys and Girls Club, the Worcester Police Department (WPD), and the City of Worcester, this project will develop, implement, monitor, and evaluate a plan, based on the evidence-based Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Comprehensive Gang Model, to reduce gang-related criminal activity while addressing the needs of disengaged youth in the Greater Kilby-Gardner-Hammond neighborhood.