In our video series, Peace on our Streets, Urban Peace Institute Executive Director, Fernando Rejón, sits down with respected community intervention workers to talk the importance of violence reduction efforts in Black and Brown communities. Through this series, we explore the impact of community-based public safety, and why peacemakers deserve increased recognition and investment as they save lives on the frontlines. 

In the fifth episode of Peace on our Streets, Ben “Taco” Owens, a longtime leader in the community violence intervention field, shares his story of becoming a Peacemaker and how he has seen the work evolve. Ben is the Executive Director of Detours Mentoring Group, a supervisor for Advocates 4 Peace and Urban Unity (APUU), and a member of the Southern California Ceasefire Committee. He emphasizes the need for intervention workers in ending community violence and calls on leaders to fund this essential work.