A couple of years ago, a tragic triple homicide in Denver left families grieving and a neighborhood fearful that more violence could follow. The killings grew out of a long-running conflict between two well-known gangs, the GKIs (Gillian Knights Insane) and the Bloods, whose fragile alliance over drug deals had collapsed.
That was when Leo Alirez, founder and executive director of Life-Line Colorado, got a call from both police and parole officers asking for help to keep the situation from getting worse.
Life-Line had credibility with both sides. Leo and his team reached people no one else could. They met with leaders from each group, listened and passed messages between the streets and those calling the shots from inside the Department of Corrections, where tensions were feeding the conflict. They also helped move people who were in immediate danger to safety, including several living at a Lakewood trap house connected to the dispute…