BATON ROUGE - In response to a wave of increasing violence in the Baton Rouge area, the mayor's office issued a Thursday morning news release detailing steps some locals are taking to address rising crime.

According to the release, a group of residents known as the Baton Rouge Street Team are participating in a training program designed to help them become more effective in responding to violence in the 70802 and 70805 zip codes.

The mayor's office says the pilot program is made up of trusted community members with the necessary relationships needed to deescalate conflicts and steer residents in crisis towards available resources.

The Baton Rouge Street Team is a community-based public safety model partnering with Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome’s Safe Hopeful Healthy BR Initiative.

Training and technical assistance are being conducted by nationally renowned interventionist Aqeela Sherrills, executive director of the Community Based Public Safety Collective and president of the Newark Community Street Team.

Also conducting training is Dr. Aquil Basheer, who is the founder of the Professional Community Intervention Training Institute (PCITI). Coordinating the initiative is Sateria Tate, founder of AGILE Planning Solutions.

“Our community is at a cross roads when it comes to addressing violence – community partnerships are essential in our path to peace. The Baton Rouge Street Team will utilize relationship-based strategies to intervene, prevent, and mediate conflicts to a peaceful resolution,” said Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome.

The Baton Rouge Street Team aims to begin its pilot program this summer in the 70802 and 70805 zip codes.

The team consists of five High-Risk Interventionist, four Community Navigators, and one Program Coordinator.

“Law enforcement is always working to proactively address violence in our community, but the most effective method is to empower our residents to address the underlying factors before violence occurs. I’m confident the Baton Rouge Street Team will be a strong partner in our mission to create a more peaceful community,” said BRPD Chief Murphy Paul.