Community Safety

Community safety is the responsibility of everyone, not just law enforcement and the court system. Just as social problems - like crime and drug abuse - are not created in a vacuum, so too solutions have to holistically address the totality of the problems within a community. While law enforcement has a role to play in keeping a community safe, it is not well equipped to address underlying issues - like substance abuse and mental health disorders. 

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A fair and holistic approach to community safety, thus funds and engages multiple community partners  - like Community Mental Health and related organizations - to help solve the root problems that lead to community disruptions before they occur. We cannot expect police officers to be social workers, addiction counselors,etc… instead, we need to make sure these resources are readily available and easy to access. Likewise, citizens in local communities should be a part of the conversation when it comes to developing strategies that serve their communities best. 

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Furthermore, while there is often a focus on violent crime and how it disrupts communities, economic crimes - like wage theft, wage and hour violations, and other crimes against workers often go unnoticed and unprosecuted. One way of addressing this is by establishing an Economic Justice Unit, which would investigate and prosecute economic crimes and labor violations.

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 When people are secure in their jobs, secure in their housing, and secure in the knowledge that there is help available when they need it, communities are safer and together we can solve big problems.