Citizen Summit III—Challenges
Real Challenges. Real Choices.
Making Neighborhoods Safer
Participants were presented with five options for making neighborhoods safer in the District. A sixth option developed during the discussion: strengthen relationships between the community and the police.
During the table discussions, several themes surfaced around public safety options. Attendees strongly supported reforming the juvenile justice system and reducing neighborhood blight-because "early intervention is prevention." People also encouraged more community responsibility, suggesting that the city should "involve kids and families in keeping their neighborhoods clean."
Citizens called for a visible and responsive connection between officers and neighborhoods, a need to strike a balance between enforcement and community policing. While some supported enforcement of low-level crimes, others were concerned about the consequences that approach might have on community policing efforts. Similarly, while many residents supported focusing additional police attention on "hot spots," others worried that some areas wouldn't receive enough attention, or that certain neighborhoods would be stigmatized.
Participants were also asked to prioritize the options for making neighborhoods safer. The top three priorities were:
- Reform the juvenile justice system
- Strengthen relationships between community and police
- Focus enforcement and services on high-risk populations and ex-offenders to prevent a return to crime
Complete results from Citizen Summit III will be available in the coming weeks on the Neighborhood Action website.
For a print version of the full report, see Citizen Summit III Preliminary Report.*
