The cause of peace on the streets of Los Angeles got an unlikely hero this week when 36-year-old rapper The Game joined Police Chief Charlie Beck in calling for an end to shootings and violence.
The two released a short video as part of their new Stop the Violence campaign Wednesday.
There were nearly 1,000 shootings in the City of Los Angeles last year, according to Beck. Of those, 80 percent of the victims and 80 percent of the shooters were men of color.
“It’s time for a change,” the police chief says.
The camera then pans to The Game, who tells viewers to “Be the change.”
Like many major cities, Los Angeles is grappling with a rise in crime after more than ten years of decline. With recent police shootings in other parts of the country, members of the LAPD also increasingly feel under siege.