City of Stockton responds to ongoing gun violence with 'Peacekeepers' program

Two separate shootings involving young people on Thursday night are the latest incidents of ongoing violence in Stockton. Police are not the only ones perplexed by the ongoing violence. The city is responding to the violence with its own plan of action: a newly approved program aiming to bring guides and mentors known as peacekeepers. Laura Larson, director for the Stockton Office of Violence Prevention says the Peacekeepers go directly to at-risk youth and adults in neighborhoods impacted by gun violence. “We look at who are the drivers of violence during the week, and then we communicate directly to those individuals who are involved to offer them victim services, emergency relocation is necessary,” Larson said.