Turf War in Shaw

Many of you have probably already seen this, but one of the neighborhood listserves pointed out this article in the City Paper about gang violence in Shaw.  The author does a good job of showing the connections between the violence--for the most part, these incidents are not random, one act of violence leads to another.  That chain of violence has to be broken, but how?  It seems like the work of the non-profits is not bearing much fruit, but can we really expect much from them?  And what can a white gentrifier like me, who lives in and cares about Shaw, really do to help the situation? 

One interesting paragraph from the article, that I'd love to hear others thoughts on:

The resulting gunfire breaks out at random moments on Shaw’s streets. And gang warfare is not supposed to happen in a long-since-gentrified neighborhood, right next to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and wedged in between the U Street corridor and the Gallery Place-Chinatown area, the epicenter of new D.C.: corporate development and condos galore, loaded with residents who can’t believe their shiny new buildings still haven’t driven out the crack dealers below their windows. Here, four blocks from the Verizon Center, crime landmarks dot a neighborhood with $800,000 homes, chic new eateries, and boutiques that sell purses for $200. The Shaw of yesteryear has disappeared, and yet its crew history is still evolving.

Ok, back to work...