Pasadena’s City Manager’s Office on Thursday released information about the city’s gang outreach and violence interruption efforts, highlighting work led by the Pasadena Public Health Department’s Gang Outreach and Violence Interruption Services team.
Pasadena has seen a significant and steady decline in confirmed and suspected gang shootings, dropping from 31 in 2021 to two in 2025, the report said.
From January 2023 to December 2025, the violence interruption team logged more than 20,000 hours of service and issued over 950 referrals for support with substance use, mental health, job training, housing and education.
Pasadena has experienced a recent period of stability, but continued upstream intervention remains essential to sustaining this progress, the City Manager’s office said.
PPHD uses an approach based on the Cure Violence Model, a public health strategy that aims to stop the spread of violence by detecting and interrupting conflicts, identifying and assisting those at highest risk, and shifting community norms. The primary objectives of violence interrupters are to interrupt violence at its source and to support individuals who are ready to step away from gang-involved lifestyles. Since gang structures are skeptical of outsiders, violence-interrupters must take a unique approach to work inside the network.
From the outside, violence interruption can appear to be traditional outreach. But in practice, the work requires an intentional, around-the-clock presence focused on building relationships and trust with individuals connected to gangs.
Trust allows the team to stay informed when tensions rise, engage key decision-makers to help resolve conflicts, and be available when someone is ready to seek help. This trust also helps gang leadership understand the purpose of the work, ensuring the safety of the team.
GOVIS team members stay in constant communication with youth and adults involved in gangs across the community and region, meeting them where they are — at parks, apartment complexes, stores, and other neighborhood gathering spots. These connections are made possible through a License to Operate, or LTO, a level of trust granted by local gangs. An LTO is not easy to earn; it takes time and consistency and can be revoked instantly. This trust allows the team to enter spaces otherwise inaccessible, including social gatherings, hospital rooms after incidents and funeral services — allowing the Pasadena violence interruption team to serve as credible messengers in the moments that matter most.
Many GOVIS team members understand the impacts of Pasadena’s gangs firsthand. Introduced to gangs at a young age and raised in environments with limited resources, several team members draw on lived experience, personal growth and reflection on their life choices to guide their work. They are committed to helping others avoid similar risks and understand the consequences of their choices.
All GOVIS team members are trained and certified as Professional Gang Outreach and Intervention Specialists, completing extensive coursework, scenario-based training and community engagement development.
The work brings meaningful rewards and significant challenges.
On one day, a team member may celebrate with someone who secures temporary employment, which can be an important step toward long-term stability. The next day, they may find themselves at a hospital after an incident, navigating an emotionally charged situation working to help prevent retaliation. The demands of this work require resilience and consistent support for the team.
Through it all, the Pasadena violence interruption team remains committed to maintaining peace and breaking cycles of violence in the community.
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