Ben “Taco” Owens is a respected leader in the field of Community Violence Intervention (CVI) with over 30 years of frontline experience in transforming neighborhoods impacted by gun violence and systemic disinvestment. As Director of Detours Mentoring Group Inc. and the Southern California Cease Fire Committee, Taco leads grassroots strategies that center healing, youth development, and public safety in historically marginalized communities.
A survivor of gun violence himself, Taco brings powerful lived experience to his work with justice-involved youth, victims of violence, and community members navigating trauma. He currently serves on the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Crime Victims Advisory Board and is a member of California Safety and Justice. His voice has helped shape trauma-informed policy and practice at the local and state level.
Taco is a skilled coalition-builder who has forged deep partnerships with schools, law enforcement, public health agencies, and neighborhood-based organizations to build safer, more connected communities. His leadership has been instrumental in advancing equity-centered CVI models and mentoring programs that uplift Black and Brown youth across South Los Angeles and the South Bay.
Ben “Taco” Owens’ service on the Urban Alchemy Board reflects his lifelong commitment to social transformation, peacebuilding, and creating dignified pathways for those impacted by violence, poverty, and incarceration.