Municipal Safety Hubs: A New Model of Community-Centered Safety Infrastructure in Local Government

The Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) will utilize this funding to implement Municipal Safety Hubs, a new model of community-centered safety infrastructure in local government. Vera will provide technical assistance and subawards to the Albuquerque (New Mexico) Community Safety Department and The City of Richmond (California) Community Services Department, Office of Neighborhood Safety to create and sustain civilian-led safety hubs. These safety hubs will utilize a data-informed, community-centered, needs-based public health approach to address public safety and social needs, without relying solely on traditional law enforcement responses. The project focuses on refining a civilian-led public safety plan, expanding capacity for collecting and analyzing public safety data, and fostering engagement and accountability to system impacted community stakeholders. This project will focus on high-need areas, addressing incidents related to mental and behavioral health issues, disturbances, and survival behaviors that too often become criminalized when the only available response is law enforcement (e.g. behavioral health crises, public disturbances, loitering, unwanted persons, public intoxication, and trespassing). Also, Vera will engage a diverse cross-section of system-impacted residents, civilian government agencies, community-based organizations, and local stakeholders to develop strategies, mechanisms, and measures of success for greater coordination, integration, and accountability to system-impacted communities in advancing a shared vision of public safety.