What if the key to safer cities isn’t harsher punishments, but more peacebuilding? Aqeela Sherrills helped broker the 1992 peace treaty between the Bloods and Crips – an agreement that cut LA homicides nearly in half. Since then, he’s been using that same approach to transform neighborhoods across America as co-founder of the Community-Based Public Safety Collective, where he trains everyday people in conflict resolution and deescalation strategies alongside local law enforcement. After decades pioneering this work, Aqeela brings us a better way for communities to reclaim safety, restore trust, and heal from within.

Watch Aqeela Sherrills’ Ted Talk, “The grassroots movement transforming public safety" and learn about Community-Based Public Safety Collective at cbpscollective.org and Scaling Safety at scalesafety.org.

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