Opportunities for effective education, transportation, public safety, economic development, health, job training and much more are key factors in ensuring community development and revitalization is successful, and when neighborhoods have access to safe, affordable housing, they have greater opportunities to access education, transportation and much more. For more than 20 years, the Community Safety Initiative (CSI) of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) has worked to create safe neighborhoods through partnerships with community residents, law enforcement and community developers.
LISC’s CSI has facilitated comprehensive crime reduction measures to ensure public safety in revitalized communities through a four-pronged model that incorporates revitalization strategies, engagement of neighborhood residents, using data and research, and diverse cross-sector partnerships. Through a partnership with the Department of Justice’s Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation program, LISC’s work has included emphasis on public safety through combined collaboration, community empowerment, commitment from local law enforcement and infrastructure investments. Since the partnership began, the Byrne program has facilitated comprehensive crime reduction measures in 46 communities using this four-pronged approach.
Four cities, Austin, Milwaukee, San Antonio and Syracuse, have successful programs using different elements of the LISC-Byrne model. Work in Austin focuses on immigrant and refugee communities and improving resident relationships with the police force. Milwaukee’s emphasis is on preventing crime through community tools like safety audits and mapping to determine new ways to improve neighborhood safety, while San Antonio improves police-resident relationships by bringing probation meetings to residents who cannot access or afford public transportation. Community members in Syracuse used peacemaking strategies to create a neutral community space that deters crime.
LISC’s CSI and collaboration with the Byrne Program will be one of several comprehensive community development initiatives highlighted this November at our second Solutions convening of the year, Solutions for Restoring Neighborhoods.
View LISC’s presentation at NHC’s July Restoring Neighborhoods Task Force meeting to learn more about their comprehensive community development work.