Safer Schools Together
Gang Reduction Lead/GRIP Trainer
Jessy Johal has dedicated his career to at-risk youth and gang prevention and intervention. Jessy began his career in the Surrey School District’s award-winning Wraparound Program. In collaboration with the Surrey RCMP Youth Unit and Gang Enforcement Team, he managed a caseload of high-risk vulnerable youth, whether they were on the pathway of involvement or entrenched in gangs. Subsequently, as a City of Surrey supervisor, Jessy assisted staff in developing and implementing programs for youth in the inner-city region.
Jessy contributed to the delivery and facilitation of the Gang Reduction Through Informed Practice (GRIP) provincial gang prevention and intervention strategy, which was implemented by Safer Schools Together in partnership with the B.C. Ministry of Public Safety & Solicitor General. As a GRIP Trainer/Consultant, he delivers evidence-based gang prevention and intervention practices training to B.C. communities in response to youth gangs, engaging with primary community stakeholders including school district and law enforcement professionals. He provides critical incident case consultation, safety planning, and integrated case management assistance to build community capacity in school communities.
The GRIP strategy has made a significant impact across North America, where Jessy has provided comprehensive training in Gang Behavioral Analysis through Digital Threat Assessment® (DTA) to professionals in the criminal justice investigation and intervention community disciplines. This training was conducted at the World Gang Summit in collaboration with the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations. Additionally, Jessy conducted specialized sessions at various regional gang investigators associations, tailoring his expertise to meet specific community needs.
This presentation will provide a basic introduction to analyzing gang associated behaviour through a digital social media lens. Training topics include identifying social media platforms and assessing behavioural baselines for gang activity & grooming. The training will high-light several case studies that include early identification of Worrisome Online Behavior™ (WOB) & bring together a youth prevention lens that includes newcomers.