Our Stories

How to Reduce Crime with #SafetyPartners

On March 22nd, in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance at the U.S. Department of Justice, LISC hosted a dialogue about successful strategies for helping communities that struggle with high rates of crime get on a path to safety and economic opportunity. In the weeks prior to the event, we shared research, blog posts and videos that showcase the work of the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program in three communities across the U.S.

Below is a round-up of these resources and a recording of the event. 

Building Partnerships for Crime Reduction Live Stream

Watch the event from Washington, D.C. that brought together perspectives from police chiefs, prosecutors, residents and federal officials. The panels included voices from leaders in the BCJI Program, an initiative of BJA that is supported by LISC.

Click here for the event agenda.

#SafetyPartners Community Wise Series

Over the month of March, we featured blog posts from community members involved in comprehensive safety efforts in the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence, supported by BCJI. They shared their reflections on the challenges they face, and the solutions they see making a difference in their community.

Navigating a Passage Between a Rock and a Hard Placeby Tina Shepard
Director of community initiatives for ONE Neighborhood Builders, Shepard shares her experience helping build relationships between police and community in Olneyville. 

The What, Why and How of Community Policing: An Officer’s Viewby Tracie Miller
Officer Miller opens a window onto the experience of policing a neighborhood with a history of mistrust of law enforcement, and what it takes to build a community's trust.

When Police Are Problem Solversby Sean Varano
Criminologist Sean Varano describes the value of problem-oriented policing, and what a researcher can bring to the quest for safer neighborhoods.

What Was Done, Was Done Right

LISC Rhode Island worked with the residents of Aleppo Street and the Providence Police Department to help turn a blighted, chronically unsafe area into a neighborhood of opportunity. By forging a partnership based on a community contract, residents, police and investors worked to reverse decades of problems. Captain Dean Isabella of the Providence PD, a native of the area, describes the transformation.

Place, People, Police

A research report on the effects of place-centric crime reduction efforts in Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Rhode Island.

Download the Report
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