Public Safety Group - May 13

A City That Works - May 13, 2008
Public Safety Discussion Group at Lutheran Theological Seminary

This group was made up of six men and women. They ranged in age from early to later middle age, and were mostly from East and West Mount Airy.

What does this goal mean to you?

• I feel safe and secure to travel in any neighborhood.

• I’m able to leave my windows open in the summer.

• I feel pride in the city and don’t get negative response when I tell people where I live.

• I’m able top come home late at night without worrying about being jumped.

• Homicides, especially those of children, are rare and not reported nightly on the news.

• I hear about less guns in the street.

• There’s an absence of young men on the corners, who are intimidating when they are there (This could also be performance measure.)

• There’s an absence of homeless / mentally ill on the street. (This also be performance measure – see below.)

Performance measures (What success would look like)

• Reduce rate of recidivism by 50 percent.

• Reduce the number of adults who commit crimes by certain percentage.

• Reduce the number of youth who commit crimes by certain percentage.

• Reduction of homeless people on the streets by certain percentage.

• Decrease in property crimes and vandalism by certain percentage.

• Increase the number of arrests in loitering and curfew violations.

• Ideas (given as performance measures, but really outputs):

    → Increase in mental services for prisoners.

    → Increase in conflict resolution programs in prisons and schools.

    → Increase in community activities, job-training programs and jobs for youth.

Customer-service standards

• Effective police responses to crimes / issues reported by citizens.

• Increase in two-way communication between police districts and community organizations in those districts.

• Increased police presence that results in police officers and citizens knowing  each other within their districts and having casual contacts and relationships.