Building Safety

Community-Centered Safety Framework
- Form a diverse Safety Council representing residents, youth, renters, seniors, immigrants, and local businesses to set shared safety goals, codes of conduct, and non-police response protocols.
- Establish a transparent safety dashboard with indicators (foot traffic, perceived safety, incidents, response times, trust levels) and publish quarterly public updates.

Inclusive Public Space Design and Programming
- Conduct a space-by-space safety audit of streets, parks, and transit hubs and implement a prioritized, equity-informed improvements plan (lighting, sight-lines, maintenance, wayfinding, accessibility).
- Create staffed, welcoming hubs and programming (library lobbies, park ambassadors, after-school programs, community events) to increase usage, supervision, and social cohesion.

Civilian Crisis Response and Trust-Building
- Create a civilian crisis response unit staffed by mental health professionals, social workers, and trained mediators with 24/7 dispatch for non-violent crises and resource navigation.
- Develop clear escalation and data-sharing protocols with police and city services; train responders together, run joint simulations, and ensure residents know how to access non-police help.

Root Causes and Economic Safety Nets
- Align safety investments with housing stability, employment supports, childcare, healthcare, and addiction/mental health services; implement a centralized intake and referral system funded via participatory budgeting.
- Leverage local institutions to offer wraparound supports (education, mentoring, transportation assistance) and measure impact on safety and trust, using community feedback to adjust programs.

Trust Circles
- Description/Status: A neighborhood pilot that seeds small, rotating “trust circles” of 6–10 neighbors who meet regularly to discuss safety concerns, share resources, and coordinate mutual aid. Status: concept-to-field-test in 3 diverse blocks to gauge changes in familiarity and willingness to help one another.
- Key Feature: Structured, facilitator-led conversations plus a lightweight channel to connect people with local resources (housing, transport, social services) while preserving privacy; fosters daily interactions that build trust.
- Tech/Materials needed: Simple scheduling app for hosting rotations; conversation guides and facilitator training; signage and printed handouts; multilingual translation support; optional low-friction resource directory.

Open Space Guardians
- Description/Status: A volunteer safety-steward program deployed in parks and busy transit hubs to provide visible, non-enforcement presence that can offer directions, de-escalate tension, and assist vulnerable individuals. Status: 6-week pilot in 2 districts with trained volunteers and soft coordination app.
- Key Feature: Positive, approachable presence that signals communal care; trained in de-escalation and bystander intervention; clear escalation paths to city services as needed.
- Tech/Materials needed: Volunteer uniforms/vests; radios or smartphones for coordination; short training modules; lightweight coordination app; signage and accessibility aids.

Public Space TrustIndex
- Description/Status: A privacy-preserving digital platform to gauge felt safety and trust in spaces through anonymized micro-surveys and participatory governance. Status: prototype in 2–3 districts with a real dashboard for planners and community groups.
- Key Feature: Privacy-first data collection and aggregated dashboards that visualize “trust signals” across spaces; participatory design process to decide what to measure and act on.
- Tech/Materials needed: Mobile app and web backend for surveys; differential privacy/data-ethics tooling; data visualization dashboard; multilingual UI; secure data storage.

Illuminated Safe Routes
- Description/Status: A physical design prototype along a typical walking corridor that integrates better lighting, sightlines, seating, and wayfinding with a soft digital overlay to respond to usage patterns. Status: design-and-build testbed on a single block; observations to inform broader rollout.
- Key Feature: Safe-route corridor with continuous, energy-efficient lighting, clear sightlines, accessible seating, and community art to encourage daytime and evening use; adaptive lighting cues to reduce fear of isolation.
- Tech/Materials needed: Solar-powered LED lighting poles and fixtures; motion/ambient sensors (privacy-preserving); microcontrollers (e.g., ESP32); weatherproof enclosures; durable seating; signage and wayfinding elements; protective coatings.

Community Concierge Kiosk
- Description/Status: Multi-language, user-friendly information kiosks placed in high-traffic public spaces to provide immediate access to city services, safety guidance, and emergency contacts. Status: pilot at 2 transit hubs with remote support channels.
- Key Feature: One-button emergency contact and live chat with city staff; directory of local resources; accessibility features (high-contrast UI, text-to-speech, large fonts).
- Tech/Materials needed: Kiosk hardware (touchscreen, microphone, speaker, camera optional for assistance), cellular connectivity; software suite for directory, chat, and emergencies; secure, scalable backend; vandal-resistant enclosure; power considerations.