The 67th Police Precinct Clergy Council in Brooklyn, otherwise known as the Godsquad, wants to “restore, heal, connect, recover and empower our community to exist without violence.”
“All we need to end gun violence in America is faith that it can be done, the will to act and the tools to bring about change,” said Pastor Gil Monrose, the US Virgin Islands-born head of the Council, in his New Year’s Message on Monday.
“We have the faith, the will and the battle-tested methods to bring about that change,” he added, writing under the caption, “No Hate. No Fear. 2020: A year of new challenges.”
“We have come to the end of not only the 2019 but the decade,” he continued. “Since 2010, with the full cooperation of the 67th Precinct, the Clergy Council has been a valued partner in the fight against senseless gun violence.”
Pastor Monrose said the Public Safety Coalition’s (PSC) plan, in operation since 2017, is designed to implement a “collective, comprehensive, community initiative to decrease the involvement of young people in gangs, crimes and gun violence within the jurisdiction of the 67th Precinct.”
He said this plan embodies “a holistic approach involving various partners and supporters in our diverse neighborhood, with resources invested by these community partners for the betterment of the entire Brooklyn community.”
“It is our goal and life’s work to reduce the violence in the communities in which we serve as pastors and faith leaders,” Monrose said. “Gun violence and the loss of life has a significant and traumatic effect on families and the communities in which they reside.”
He said PSC has proved to be proactive by providing engaging activities, information and training that has deterred further violence in the communities.
Through the work of the PSC, Monrose said there has been a significant reduction in the number of gun violence crimes that have overtaken “our communities.”
“Our ultimate prayer and goal are to restore, heal, connect, recover and empower our community to exist without violence,” he said.
