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Project Gang Reduction After Neighbourhood Training (G.R.A.N.T.) is an innovative project which will mirror a project implemented in the United States called Project Gang Reduction through Intervention, Prevention and Education (Project G.R.I.P.E.).
The three main components of the program are Neighborhood Training, Community Involvement and Gang Publications and Training Materials.
As a part of the Neighborhood training component, the project utilizes communities to engage youth-at-risk. The program directors provide members of the law enforcement community, community members, teachers, social workers and provincial parole officers etc. with a comprehensive training program that is taught by educators who specialize in the gang discipline. Using this training, project members assist in the delivery of the curriculum to youth-at-risk and teach and inform members in their own community about the “evils of gangs” and how to recognize the signs of gang involvement.
Under the Community Involvement component, the project targets youth at-risk of joining or re-joining gangs. Community members involved in the project recruit youth-at-risk in identified communities and deliver the curriculum to them. In order to build community networks/bridges, youth involved in the projects participate in volunteer service activities aimed at community improvement by helping the elderly, disabled or isolated community members.
The Ontario Gang Investigators address the main target of gang recruitment – youth-at-risk in the identified targeted communities/neighborhoods. The Ontario Gang Investigators Association will provide expert instructors that possess in-depth knowledge of the gang culture and critical gang identifiers. Professional publications relating to gang education will also be created which will be available to the public, schools, law enforcement and government agencies.
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