Skipp Townsend is an American gang expert from Los Angeles, California. For 27 years, he was a member of the Bloods gang; his first arrest came at age 13. [1]
Townsend was raised in South Los Angeles. He attended a Catholic elementary school[2] and went on to attend Dorsey High School, dropping out in his junior year.
Townsend is known for his role in several documentaries and movies: How to Make Money Selling Drugs;[3] "The '80s: The Decade That Made Us,[4] a television mini-series in which he played a former crack dealer;[5] and the Gangland episode "One Blood".[6] He also assisted the casting department in two episodes of T.I.'s Road to Redemption.[7]
Townsend also is well known in minority communities, and has a reputation for being among the first to arrive at a scene when shots have been fired.[8]
Townsend is the co-founder and executive director of 2nd Call, a gang intervention non-profit, and board member of the Southern California Cease Fire Committee. [9] He is often interviewed as a pragmatic expert regarding police-public relations and as an "interventionist" regarding community conflicts.
2nd Call was founded in 2005[10] as a community-based organization designed to save lives by reducing violence and assisting in the personal development of high-risk individuals, proven offenders, ex-felons, parolees, and others with society disregard. The organization provides alternatives to violence and abuse through intervention, counseling and support. It also provides a series of classes aiming to promote positive growth as well as post-release mentorship.[11] 2nd Call provides free quarter-proof classes and trauma classes.
The organization also encourages judges to send individuals to 2nd Call classes rather than to jail, and it offers a pathway to union careers in building trades such as electrical and construction.[12] 2nd Call has helped an estimated 2,000-3,000 individuals.[13]
2nd Call provides classes on domestic violence, parenting, anger management, and re-entry, in Los Angeles and Pasadena. The organization also helps keep at-risk youth out of gangs. Townsend often helps former offenders find jobs in construction or electrical work once they have completed the program [14]
2nd Call works with activists and acts as a liaison between citizens and law enforcement and pushes for systematic changes in policing.
Townsend suggests that police officers address mental health and substance abuse: Having more community policing, law enforcement engaging with their communities more and understand any pain people may be feeling that relates to the involvement of police officers.[15]
In 2020, Townsend supported dozens of formerly incarcerated individuals who helped build the SoFi stadium.[16] During the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Southern California partnered with 2nd Call to help distribute protective supplies for community members, since many could not afford to buy masks.[17]