Prolific South Los Angeles gang interventionist Clifford “Skipp” Townsend has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.
Townsend, 62, was arrested Wednesday morning by the LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division but has yet to be charged with a crime. He is currently being held at the Valley Jail in Van Nuys on $2 million bail, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Lenita Sinna Dee Lewis, 28, and Shamond Bennett, 49, were arrested Monday in the same investigation, while Nichole Aaliyah Smith, 23, and Jeremiah Abdelhameed, 25, are also being held on suspicion of being accessories following Townsend’s arrest.
While LAPD has not revealed who the alleged conspiracy’s intended victim may have been, the arrests come nearly three months after 2nd Call team member Reginald Foreman was shot and killed Aug. 6 while responding to a call involving an escalating marijuana-related dispute in the Hyde Park neighborhood. Foreman was a father of three and had been working with 2nd Call for just two months at the time of the shooting.
“It’s with pure sadness for the 2nd Call family and the Foreman family in regards to our brother our loved one,” 2nd Call wrote in an Instagram post. “Prayers for those that have been ill affected by all violence.. Rest well.. Baby Ant.”
As the founder and CEO of 2nd Call, an organization that aims to reduce violence and encourage reentry for at-risk individuals and formerly incarcerated people, Townsend has been recognized for his work in Los Angeles by city officials. The District Attorney’s Office described Townsend as “a key interventionist” in the city’s Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) program, a community safety initiative established by the city.
His organization, 2nd Call, has received more than $2 million in government funding between 2021 and 2026, according to data from the City Controller’s Office. Mayor Karen Bass’ office accounted for the majority of that funding, totaling approximately $1.6 million.
Payments from the Mayor’s Office appear to come from the General Fund, beginning in fiscal year 2026, and are categorized as “Contractual Services.”
Townsend also served as an executive board member of the Southern California Cease Fire Committee and sat on two Los Angeles County boards. He regularly responded to scenes alongside LAPD officers and coordinated closely with law enforcement, reportedly drawing on his community ties to de-escalate situations and support emotionally distressed community members.
Before his work in community intervention, Townsend was a member of the Bloods gang in South Los Angeles for 27 years and was first arrested at age 13. The District Attorney’s Office has noted that Townsend was listed as an active gang member in the CAL Gangs database.
Townsend later distanced himself from gang involvement, completing numerous training courses in an effort to turn his life around and become more involved in his community. Those included the Pat Brown Institute’s Youth and Gang Violence Intervention Course, according to the City Clerk’s Office.
In recent years, Townsend has been a prominent figure in mediating disputes between rival street gangs throughout South Los Angeles, Compton and Inglewood while volunteering his time to support at-risk youth.
Townsend’s connections within Los Angeles’ gang intervention community have also extended to other prominent figures who have faced criminal scrutiny. In March 2025, Townsend publicly defended Eugene “Big U” Henley, the former Rollin’ 60s Crips leader and co-founder of Developing Options, following Henley’s federal indictment.
Henley has been accused of numerous crimes, including assaulting a Grammy-winning recording artist who owed him a debt, embezzling charitable donations, soliciting sex work and providing false information to government officials.
https://twitter.com/LAmag/status/1902434919600861447?a=l3OOgzi0onq-eVV9DIA&s=20
Following Henley’s arrest, Townsend said he never believed Henley was participating in illegal activity.
“As far as anything outside his work for his organization and his work in the music industry, I didn’t see anything,” Townsend told the Los Angeles Times. “Never nothing criminal.”
Henley is set to face trial on a 43-count indictment that includes charges of fraud, robbery, extortion, tax evasion, embezzlement and racketeering conspiracy resulting in murder. His trial is scheduled for February 2027.
Despite Townsend’s longstanding relationships with city officials and law enforcement, his arrest has now placed scrutiny on the leadership of 2nd Call, an organization that has received millions in taxpayer funding to combat violence across Los Angeles.
2nd Call has not responded to Los Angeles‘ request for comment. The District Attorney’s Office told Los Angeles that the case involving Townsend is currently under review and that no charges have been filed at this time.
The post Prominent L.A. Gang Interventionist Skipp Townsend Arrested in Alleged Murder Conspiracy appeared first on LAmag.
