Building Safety from the Grassroots
To look at Newark today is to see a city in resurgence. You can see a community confront a history of violence and systemic inequity and take ownership of its safety. What is happening in Newark is special but it doesn’t have to be rare. This is a blueprint that all cities can use to put the public back in public safety.
Leaders across the nation, and the media, have noticed the trajectory, but the stories about Newark are almost always about one or two aspects of the work. In fact, what has happened in Newark is much more significant. The city offers the country an innovative landscape showing that a community-centered approach to public safety is not only possible, but also proven. The story of that landscape is best told by the people who are driving the change.
Additional Videos
Public Safety — Redefined
Public safety is about more than the absence of violence. It’s the presence of health and well-being that enable communities to thrive.
Engagement of the Full Community
Grassroots leaders have been unflinching in building a comprehensive vision for what safety truly means in the community.
Spirit of Innovation
Newark’s leaders, in the community and in government, saw a need for true public safety and created the vehicle to meet it.
Policy Changes Responsive to Community
Official Newark leadership has validated its community engagement by enacting policies and procedures that address community needs.
Bridge Building: Community and Police
To collaborate with community, police need to reckon with the trauma police brutality and oppression inflict on the community and work to overcome it.
Healing-Centered Programs/Youth Development
Healing trauma is essential to breaking the cycle of violence and harm. Newark is a leader in the way it addresses violence and trauma.
Coordinating Body/Budgetary Support
Effective ecosystems require planning and alignment at a high level and real sustainability that invests in community-centered solutions.
