The Community: Reflections on Achieving Safe and Strong Communities with Participatory Action Research

• In Event: Halfway There Far to Go All at Once: Reimagining Policing, Making Baltimore Neighborhoods Safe and Strong

Abstract

The authors describe the necessity for persons most affected by the harms of policing being part of the plan to build safer and stronger communities. Neighborhood involvement and community building to build safer and stronger neighborhoods are essential. Community violence and police violence disparately affects Black people and other minoritized and structurally disadvantaged communities. The root causes of community violence and police perpetrated violence and the practice of addressing this during the Build and Broaden Team’s work are included in this presentation. The authors examine how strengthened relations between neighbors and between neighbors and police officers, help to solve problems, build trust, and help make neighborhoods safe. The Build and Broaden Team includes Participatory Action Research Liaisons (PAR Liaisons) who are part of select Baltimore city neighborhoods who engage their neighbors, law enforcement, and faculty and graduate students. This paper includes reflections from their early childhood experiences through their intentional engagement with law enforcement.

Authors

• Natasha C. Pratt-Harris, Morgan State University

• Kevin Daniels, Morgan State University

• Paul Archibald, CUNY College of Staten Island

• Christina Williams, Morgan State University

• Andrea Clark, Morgan State University

• Tinea White, Morgan State University

• Nachelle Moore, Morgan State University

• TyJuan Rice, Morgan State University

• James Nolan, West Virginia University

• Henry Brownstein, West Virginia University