Gang Response Intervention Team

About GRIT

The Gang Response Intervention Team (GRIT) is a multiagency, multidiscipline team charged with coordinating the suppression, intervention, prevention, and overall reduction of street gang activity within Loudoun County. By utilizing the expertise of the associated agencies, the team will identify at-risk youth, gang members, and gang activity. GRIT coordinates, develops, and supports services to at-risk youth, their families, and communities. 

GRIT is actively involved with prevention, intervention, and education initiatives within Loudoun County. The Intervention, Prevention and Education (IPE) Program of Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS) is an asset development intervention designed to increase the protective factors that ensure that gang involved youth and youth at risk for gang involvement are able to make safe, productive choices to reduce or avoid gang involvement. The IPE program ensures that youth ages 10-21 who are vulnerable to recruitment by gangs are able to develop the skills necessary to resist joining and that their parents and community members are able to provide the support and structure needed to keep these vulnerable youth safe from the negative influence of gangs.

Member Agencies

Loudoun County government agencies that are members of the team include the:

• Community Corrections Program
• Department of Family Services
• Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Developmental Services
• Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Services
• Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Service Unit
• Loudoun County Sheriff's Office
• Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney
• Office of the County Administrator

Other member agencies are the Leesburg Police Department, the Leesburg Department of Parks and Recreation, Loudoun Public Schools, and the local Adult Probation and Parole District of the Virginia Department of Corrections.

Services

GRIT provides information on gang intervention and prevention programs and services. GRIT is also the point of contact for community-based educational programming, gang awareness presentations, and seminars. View the online brochure (PDF) to learn more about this program.