NHC Leadership Circle member the Community Preservation and Development Corporation (CPDC), along with the Council for Court Excellence and fellow Leadership Circle member the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), recently surveyed 5,000 residents living in Washington, D.C. about perception of public safety amid increasing concerns about rising crime and homicide rates. The survey found that residents in the District’s Ward 8 feel the least safe and that a partnership approach is needed to improve concerns about public safety.
The survey was conducted last summer online and through face-to-face interviews for the purpose of measuring a baseline level of perception of public safety among city residents as a means to promote more collaboration with local police to identify strategies for improving it. Among its findings are that residents of Ward 8 feel the least safe in their neighborhoods, on public transportation and in parks and playgrounds. The survey also notes that younger D.C. residents experienced high rates of exposure to violent crime. The results come at a time where there is much concern nationally about rising rates of homicide in major cities and have pushed CPDC to launch and lead a “Collaborating for Prevention” initiative to foster community-driven public safety plans to ensure that residents thrive.
“Public safety is core to a community’s quality of life,” CPDC Senior Vice President for Community Impact Strategies, Pamela Lyons, said in a press release. “Our goal with this survey is to identify what we need to do to strengthen partnerships between residents who live in communities across the city and the law enforcement officers who are supposed to protect them. Residents are ready to build stronger, trusting relationships with police and work together with them to create safer neighborhoods for themselves and their families.”
Ensuring public safety is a vital aspect of strengthening the bond of community development. At our July Restoring Neighborhoods Task Force meeting LISC presented on community safety initiatives and community policing. View a recording of the meetingand visit our website to learn more about the Restoring Neighborhoods Task Force and to get involved.
Read the full report, “Perceptions of Public Safety: Report on the 2015 DC Public Safety Survey,” here.