SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Crime and gun violence taking center stage in Sacramento after a string of murders in the city.
People in North Sacramento are especially on edge after police say 11 people have been shot there in less than a week.
"It just makes me not go outside anymore," said Tyrice Lucas, a teen who lives in Del Paso Heights.
Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester says right now the department is unsure what's driving this spike in crime.
"The numbers are very alarming," said Lester. "75% of our shooting victims are Hispanic or African American. And 50% are under the age of 30. So it's really affecting our youth and it's really affecting the sense of safety."
In Del Paso Heights, Brother 2 Brother is trying to make a difference by opening up a new safe zone building targeting youth.
"A safe zone is consistent if you have a problem with somebody out there in the streets and you need to get away to be safe, come in our building and we're going to protect you and make sure that you are good," said Aaron Cardoza, president of Brother 2 Brother. "Also it's a learning center for us to be able to tutor our kids."
Cardoza says he's working with police to stop youth from becoming a statistic.
Chief Lester says they need organizations like these.
In a plan presented to the city council about a year ago, police are also engaging with the community.
"One of the most valuable pieces of that is to definitely use intelligence to try and reduce crime by looking at specific offenders," said Lester. "We know that violent crime occurs in very small geographic areas of our city and it's committed by a very small number of people."
