Public Safety
We empower state and local leaders to lower crime and reduce fear because a safe community is the first step to a flourishing community.
Why Does Public Safety Matter for Communities?
Public safety is the protection of people’s physical well-being. Of all the roles the government has, keeping people safe is its top responsibility.
Security and stability are necessary for families and communities to thrive. When public safety exists, people can move around their neighborhoods without worry—going to work, taking children to school, running businesses.
But when safety breaks down, it doesn’t just harm victims of crime. It triggers a cascade of consequences that trap whole communities in cycles of poverty and limited opportunity that can persist for generations.
The Costs of Rising Crime
To solve this critical issue and reward progress rather than penalizing it, policymakers should make targeted changes at both the state and federal level.
Children risk life-long poverty
Exposure to violence negatively affects children’s cognitive development, behavior, and success in school. They also grow up with fewer pathways toward economic mobility.
Jobs disappear
Rising crime forces businesses out. When they leave, jobs go with them—hitting low-income residents hardest.
Families struggle to meet basic needs
When businesses flee or avoid high-crime neighborhoods, communities lose access to affordable food and household items, creating more hardship for families already struggling.
Neighborhoods stop being homes
Increased violence hurts property values, destroying families’ opportunities to build wealth and discouraging new residents and businesses from moving in.
Public Safety Policy Recommendations
When it comes to public safety, good policies change lives. Thanks to decades of research, we know which methods are most effective in reducing crime.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Juvenile Offenders
Young people involved in crime aren’t lost causes—but they need interventions that actually work. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been shown to substantially reduce recidivism among juvenile offenders, including gang-affiliated youth, by addressing the thought patterns and decision-making processes that lead to criminal behavior.
Unlike punitive approaches alone, CBT helps young people develop the skills to make better choices, manage emotions, and build positive futures. Implementing these programs inside and outside juvenile detention centers can help at-risk youth get back on a positive life course before they become serious offenders.
The Evidence
Studies show CBT programs reduce recidivism by 20-30% among juvenile offenders, with even stronger effects for high-risk youth.
Policy Action
Fund CBT programs in juvenile facilities. Expand community-based CBT for at-risk youth. Train staff in evidence-based approaches.
Data Transparency
You can’t solve what you can’t see. Too many communities lack access to timely, accurate data about crime patterns, clearance rates, and program outcomes. This makes it nearly impossible to identify what’s working, allocate resources effectively, or hold systems accountable.
Data transparency means making crime statistics publicly available, tracking key metrics like homicide clearance rates, and requiring regular reporting on the outcomes of criminal justice programs. When communities and policymakers have access to good data, they can make better decisions.
Why It Matters
Cities with higher homicide clearance rates see lower murder rates. Transparency drives accountability and improvement.
Policy Action
Mandate public crime data dashboards. Track and report clearance rates. Require outcome reporting for all criminal justice programs.
Violence Prevention Strategies
The research is clear: a small number of individuals drive the majority of violent crime. Gang members represent just 0.5% of the population but are responsible for up to 70% of homicides and gun violence. Effective violence prevention means focusing resources on this small group through proven strategies.
“Focused deterrence” approaches—which combine targeted enforcement with social services and community engagement—have been shown to substantially reduce gang-related shootings and homicides. Meanwhile, community-based violence intervention programs work directly with high-risk individuals to prevent retaliation and provide alternatives to violence.
What Works
Focused deterrence, community violence intervention, street outreach, and hospital-based intervention programs all show strong evidence of effectiveness.
Policy Action
Implement focused deterrence strategies. Fund community violence intervention. Build trust between police and residents.
Policy Reforms for States
Decarceration’s Disconnect: Corrections spending rises in Georgia even as prison population declines
Opinion: A path that could reduce Atlanta’s juvenile crime
Safer Kentucky Act: Six Crime Reforms Included and How They Help
Want to reduce crime in DC? Ramp up enforcement and sentences
Getting serious about teen violence in Washington, D.C.: Louisville, Kentucky, provides a solution
California’s Skyrocketing Crime: How It Happened and What to Do About It
Are we witnessing a Baltimore Miracle in the fight against crime?
Getting Serious about Juvenile Violence in Boston
Creating a path forward to reduce juvenile crime in Memphis | Opinion
Op-Eds and News Coverage
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