B.R.A.G. marches against gun violence
Organization partners with Bronx community leaders for the Sept. 25 event
BY JASON COHEN
In a sign of unity against
the growing gun violence in
the Bronx and across the city
at large, Councilman Fernando
Cabrera, the 52nd Precinct
Council and Good Shepherd
Services’ B.R.A.G. (Bronx Rises
Against Gun) violence held a
community march against gun
violence on Sept. 25.
The march began at Began
Bedford Park Boulevard
and Bainbridge Avenue and
made stops at E. 199 Street and
Briggs Avenue, E. 196 Street
and Valentine Avenue and E.
196 Street and Morris Avenue
before fi nishing at St. James
Park. Each location represented
an area where gun violence has
occurred recently.
“We’re here because I believe
everyone is tired of the violence
in our community,” said
52nd Precinct Council President
Brenda Caldwell-Paris.
She praised Cabrera, the
cops and organizations like
B.R.A.G. for being there for
the community.
B.R.A.G., one of the largest
youth services providers
in NYC, promotes safer streets
by mobilizing young people
ages 16 to 25 against gun violence
using credible messengers
and an evidence-based,
anti-violence model.
Senior Program Director
David Caba said like Caldwell-
Paris, he was getting sick of
the non stop shootings. He and
his colleagues are out Tuesday
through Saturday from 1 p.m. to
9 p.m. trying to solve confl icts
with peace.
BRONX TIMES R 34 EPORTER,OCTOBER 2-8, 2020 BTR
“This is a community effort,
we’re just one part,” Caba said.
Councilman Cabrera, who
in his younger years lived in
Los Angeles when the violence
was bad, told Bronxites he did
not want the borough to resemble
the L.A. of the 80s and 90s.
As co-chair of the City Council’s
Task Force to Combat Gun
Violence, Cabrera has provided
more than $15 million to end
gun violence, including the initial
funding for Cure Violence
in the fi ve boroughs; $4.1 million
for police security cameras;
$2.25 million for B.R.A.G. and
much more.
“We have had tremendous
success with the Cure Violence
program, having several years
with close to zero gun violence
incidents in my district,” he
said. “We’ve come too far to
go back to the dark days of the
past. As the name ‘B.R.A.G.’
states, the Bronx will rise
against gun violence again and
we will win.”
Both District Attorney Darcel
Clark and 52nd Precinct
Commanding Offi cer Deputy
Inspector Thomas Alps stressed
that the community must not
only stop killing each other,
but they also need to work with
law enforcement and not take
things into their own hands.
“The offi cers can’t do it
alone,” Alps said.
Clark praised everyone that
was there and said she has
been marching all summer.
Whether it is a 17-year-old basketball
player getting killed
or an 18-year-old being burnt
alive, she said that the violence
must end.
“We are killing ourselves
and we have to do more,”
Clark said. “We have to hold
people accountable.”
On Sept. 25, Councilman Fernando Cabrera, the 52nd Precinct Council and Good Shepherd Services’ B.R.A.G.
(Bronx Rises Against Gun) violence held a community march against gun violence. Photos by Jason Cohen
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