'God Squad' Clergy To Help Brooklyn Cops Fight Gun Violence: DA

BROOKLYN, NY — Brooklyn's fight against an ongoing surge in gun violence will get a boost from a local "God Squad," according to officials.

The Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced Tuesday that his office will partner with a local NYPD precinct's Clergy Council, known as "The GodSquad," to help reach at-risk youth in certain neighborhoods throughout the borough.

The initiative will target precincts with high levels of crime where gun violence has surged in the past year, including all four precincts that cover Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights, according to the announcement.

"I believe our faith leaders have an important role to play and can help us turn these crime upticks around because they have the experience, credibility and the resources to support victims of crime and to reach vulnerable youth and set them on a better path," Gonzalez said.

The Clergy Council, which has worked in East Flatbush's 67th Precinct for more than a decade, will help similar clergy groups at 10 neighboring precincts, including the 71st and 77th in Crown Heights, the 79th and 81st in Bed-Stuy, the 83rd in Bushwick, the 90th in Williamsburg, the 75th in East New York, the 70th in Flatbush and the 69th in Canarsie.

The DA's Office will then refer young people to the clergy councils for diversion programs, mentorship opportunities or other forms of support. They will also flag local disputes that need clergy intervention, offer internship or work opportunities and offer support to victims of gun violence, the office said.

“Clergy Councils have long served as a liaison between law enforcement and the communities they serve. By building on this collective of clergy leaders, and growing on this collective of comprehensive, community plan to decrease young people's involvement in crime and gun violence, while providing support to victims of violence, this partnership will embody a holistic, multi-pronged approach with the help of our very diverse Brooklyn clergy,” said Pastor Gilford T. Monrose, president of the 67th Precinct Clergy Council.

Gun violence in New York City during the coronavirus pandemic hit levels not seen in years, despite an overall drop in crime. Shootings remain much higher this year — and last week there were 250 percent more incidents than the same period in 2020, the New York Post reported.

Shootings in Brooklyn specifically are up more than 100 percent in South Brooklyn and nearly 60 percent in North Brooklyn so far in 2021 compared to the same time period last year, NYPD data shows.

In Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy, the district attorney has focused on massive takedowns of local gangs that, according to law enforcement, have been driving the rise in shootings. His office most recently indicted 18 members of a local gang known as the Hoolies.