Gang violence erupted in cities across the country in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and the youth homicide rate skyrocketed along with the crack epidemic. The government attempted to solve the problem by pouring money into strict policing programs, but while the incarceration rate soared, gang members still murdered each other in the streets. The problem seemed unsolvable until a method called Operation Ceasefire took root, an anti-violence strategy that held entire gangs accounted at group forums for any violence that occurred.
David Kennedy is the brains behind Operation Ceasefire and author of the new book, "Don’t Shoot: One Man, A Street Fellowship, and the End of Violence in Inner-City America."