Improving Public Safety Through a Place-Based Participatory Approach - Newark Public Safety Collaborative (NPSC)

• In Event: Communities and Place: Community Perceptions, Education, Violence, and a Public Safety Collaborative

Abstract

This paper presents the theoretical framework used by the Newark Public Safety Collaborative (NPSC) to inform its mission and guide its evolution and examines how NPSC initiatives, in partnership with community stakeholders, activate key criminological theories to enhance public safety through place-based analysis, community engagement, and targeted programming. By leveraging data-informed decision-making and fostering cooperation between community organizations, local government, law enforcement, and residents, the NPSC adopts a collaborative approach to crime prevention. Its model prioritizes the democratization of data and analytics to mobilize community resources and expertise to address Newark’s most pressing crime issues. The NPSC’s strategy is grounded in community collaboration, emphasizing the role of local organizations as co-producers of public safety. By leveraging crime data and statistical analytics, it supports community-led programming that responds directly to local needs. Through regular stakeholder meetings, shared data, and participatory problem-solving, the NPSC strengthens collective efficacy and ensures that crime prevention strategies are tailored to the specific conditions of Newark’s neighborhoods. This approach highlights the importance of empowering the people closest to the problem.

Authors

• Gaspard Tissandier, Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice

• Adriana Santos, Rutgers University

• Alejandro Gimenez Santana, Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice