Preventing gun violence with B.R.A.G.
In the fight against gun violence, prevention often begins long before a trigger is pulled. It begins with a conversation, a relationship, a young person who feels heard, or a community member who knows when a conflict is beginning to escalate. For David Caba, that work has become a career and a mission through Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence, better known as B.R.A.G.
Caba serves as a senior vice president at Good Shepherd Services, overseeing B.R.A.G., a community violence intervention program that works throughout the Bronx. He began at Good Shepherd Services more than a decade ago as the program manager for B.R.A.G.’s original pilot program.
B.R.A.G. takes a community-based approach to preventing gun violence. Rather than relying solely on traditional law enforcement, the program works with young people, residents, community organizations, and other partners to identify conflicts and intervene before violence occurs. The program uses a “credible messenger” model, meaning that people with strong connections to the neighborhoods they serve can build trust with young people and others at risk of becoming involved in violence.