Putting the Public Back in Public Safety
The Problem
Cities across the country struggle with chronic violence concentrated in small pockets.
City neighborhoods containing just 1.5% of the US population experience 26% of all gun homicides. And despite being 15 times more likely to be victimized than those living in wealthier areas, residents of these communities are three times less likely to have access to help recovering from violence.
Local public officials — alongside police chiefs facing officer shortages — are looking for new solutions.
The Opportunity
- City leaders are increasingly embracing a range of community programs that alleviate crises and train residents to help those who are most vulnerable:
- Community violence interrupters (CVI) train residents in conflict mediation to reduce street violence.
- Trauma recovery centers utilize peer advocates to prevent victim re-injury.
- Reentry programs enlist peer navigators to reduce recidivism.
- Mental health response programs train peer health workers to help people in crisis.
The Opportunity
Scaling for Impact
When these programs are embraced, they work.
Newark, New Jersey — previously one of the 10 most violent cities in the US — reduced homicides by 50% in five years after local leaders launched the Newark Community Street Team (NCST), training residents to serve as conflict mediators, peer counselors, and victim advocates. After violence reached a 60-year low, the police chief said, “[NCST’s] work fills a void that cannot be filled by the police department.”
Yet despite early successes, these programs lack the readiness, resources and government support needed to achieve impact at scale. Scaling Safety — a joint venture between Community Based Public Safety Collective and Alliance for Safety and Justice— is working to change that.
Our Solution
Two nationally recognized organizations have teamed up to launch Scaling Safety.
The Community Based Public Safety Collective, the nation’s premier community violence interruption technical assistance provider, born out of Newark’s efforts, has joined forces with the Alliance for Safety and Justice, a national advocacy organization with extensive experience unlocking public dollars and eliminating policy barriers for new safety solutions.
Scaling Safety will act as an accelerator for promising community-based safety interventions. Over the next five years, Scaling Safety will invest in and accelerate a range of resident-powered prevention programs in major US cities, starting with Austin, Texas; Cleveland, Ohio; Jackson, Mississippi; Miami, Florida; and Tucson, Arizona. Through technical know-how, flexible capacity-building support and local advocacy, we aim to double access to crisis assistance and support for the most vulnerable residents and reduce violence by up to 50%.
Scaling Safety aims to save lives, heal neighborhoods, and lay the foundation for a new approach to public safety.
Our Solution
Scaling Safety is a joint project between Community Based Public Safety Collective and Alliance for Safety and Justice