Earlier this year, journalist Julian Rubinstein published The Holly, a thorough and revealing look at the history of gang violence in Denver, focusing in particular on the story of one former gang member turned anti-gang activist Terrance Roberts. It’s a fascinating book that answered many questions about a little-understood issue in our city, and it landed as violent crime is once again on the rise. So is the current spike in homicides and shootings related to gang violence? And how big is Denver’s gang problem anyways? City Cast Denver guest host donnie l. betts sat down with the new head of Denver’s anti-gang efforts, Nicole Monroe, to talk through how gangs operate in Denver today and what her office is doing about it.For more on gang violence in Denver, here’s a link to our episode earlier this year with Julian Rubinstein and Terrance Roberts.Want to get your hands on some ferociously cool City Cast Denver swag? Sign up for our new perks program. Get your personal referral link here, and start sharing with friends you think would appreciate a little more Denver in their days. If just one person uses your link to sign up, we’ll send you our personal recommendations for summer fun in Denver. Learn more and get started: https://denver.citycast.fm/referrals/And if you’re not already getting the City Cast Denver newsletter, you can subscribe right here: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Don’t miss the tweets: @citycastdenver