SAVANNAH, Ga. — As gang violence increasingly becomes a topic of concern in the county, a local group is taking proactive measures to prevent its onset.

The Chatham County Gang Prevention and Intervention Commission gathered on Saturday to define its objectives for steering young residents away from gang involvement through community-focused programs and educational initiatives. The commission highlighted that their efforts will prioritize engaging all youth, with a particular focus on children aged 6 to 12.

Programs will be held mostly on Saturdays and include ambassador initiatives and teen peer counseling sessions.

An innovative initiative is the “Show Us Your Guns” campaign, which provides an opportunity for youth to have their records expunged if they have not been involved in any violent crimes.

Baruch Piltrid, the community intervention coordinator for the commission, commented, “It’s said there’s not a gang problem yet in this community, but just to prevent and intervene so there is no gang problem. We’re just gonna keep everything going to provide to the community.”

The Chatham County Gang Prevention and Intervention Commission was created under HB 750, introduced by Rep. Carl Gilliard.