BTS Executive Director Neal Ewers on #engage416 podcast
On 14 January, Neal Ewers sat down with Detective Constable Ron Chhinzer and Shawn Geris to discuss his journey from Jamaica to the Jane & Finch corridor to 8th ranked wrestler in the world to Executive Director of non-profit organization Beat the Streets.
A big thank you to the Toronto Police Service for having us on the podcast, spotlighting Beat the Streets, and helping us advance our work.
ABOUT #ENGAGE416
From their website https://www.engage416.ca/about:
Project #Engage416 is an expansion and new component of the Toronto Police Service's greater gang prevention strategy that focuses on implementing a version of the evidence-based Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention comprehensive gang model at the neighbourhood level, modified to fit the diverse needs of 12 pilot neighbourhoods in the City of Toronto.
Between September of 2019 and March of 2020, the Toronto Police Service's Integrated Gang Prevention Task Force hosted over 30 Gang Prevention Town Halls in the City of Toronto's 31 lowest equitable neighbourhoods. During the Gang Prevention Town Halls, over 1,600 community members and 50+ government and non-government organizations voiced their experiences, opinions, ideas, and concerns. Their voices were not lost, forgotten, or ignored. Highly motivated and influenced by the community outreach, Project #Engage416 is geared towards the insights gained, community concerns, and empowerment needed in some of the most gang-impacted neighbourhoods in Toronto.
Based on the five core strategies of:
(1) Community Mobilization
(2) Opportunities Provision
(3) Social Intervention
(4) Suppression, and
(5) Organizational Change and Development,
Project #Engage416 will focus on conducting intensive community outreach efforts in 12 of the most impacted neighbourhoods in the City of Toronto's northwest quadrant to support our mission statement of engaging and empowering communities to educate, prevent, intervene, and suppress gun & gang violence, human trafficking, and sexual violence & harassment - driving solutions, from the inside out.
