Safe & Healthy Communities
Violent crime has risen and people feel unsafe. This isn’t about crime in just one neighborhood, it is widespread and it is unacceptable. This is a complex challenge– there is no one solution to this problem. Brett knows that in order to reduce violent crime and reestablish a sense of safety in our neighborhoods, we must start by giving our police department the resources, training and staffing necessary to engage in robust community policing. We also need to rebuild trust with our police department – trust between the community and the police and trust between the police and the administration. It will take a collaborative community effort to rebuild that trust. Providence has served as a model for community policing in the past and we will build upon that success – focusing on violent crime and getting illegal guns off the street.
Community safety is public safety strengthened through public health strategies and tools.
Every 9-1-1 call does not require a response from an officer with a gun and we know that by providing evidence-based and immediate crisis response, we can improve outcomes while allowing officers to focus on violent crimes.
Just last year, the city established a Behavioral Health Crisis Response Program, which Brett supports the expansion of, once it is successfully implemented. By better investing in mental health and substance use supports, we can better serve residents and reduce the burden on our first responders.
Brett understands that the best way to prevent crime, improve quality-of-life and support our local economy is through immediate and significant investments in opportunities for youth-employment, recreation and education. The City has already established strong partnerships with organizations like Family Service of Rhode Island, the Nonviolence Institute and other community based organizations. By increasing and expanding partnerships like these with a prevention-first policy and health-based approach, we can reduce violence in our community and better support our youth and families. He will increase year-round employment opportunities, extend recreation hours to meet the needs of the community and prioritize education investments inside and outside of the classroom.