Progress on improving public safety is possible only with the engagement of the public. Without engagement of the full community, this work doesn’t have the foundation it needs to take root and provide lasting change.

Ambitions for inclusivity, transparency, and racial equity were put to the test in the summer of 2020 in the aftermath of the public murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. In the hearts of many Black people, this event not only recalled their own experiences of harassment and race-based abuse, but also the history of rage and mobilization that engulfed many parts of the country in the late 1960s.

Former Newark Police Chief Lee Douglas acknowledged that there was tension in the streets, and the calls for mobilization were clear, loud, and immediate. Yet city residents and organizations responded with a sense of ownership and protection of their city that signaled a commitment to peace. That ownership and protection came from countless efforts from an ecosystem of public safety including the work of the Newark Community Street Team, Equal Justice USA’s local Newark staff, community-led initiatives, and so much more.

Developing a sustainable movement for public safety is only possible with the engagement of the full community — the people who are directly invested in, affected by, and experts of the work for their own public safety.