Combining place-based analyses with community expertise to reduce crime and improve public safety with data-informed community engagement.

• In Event: Public safety and crime prevention

Abstract

Crime prevention relies on strong collaboration, problem-solving, and coordination among community stakeholders. However, effective crime prevention efforts require continued access to data analysis, which is crucial for empowering community organizations, law enforcement, and other key decision-makers to make strategic decisions on where and when to allocate resources.

To that end, we will discuss an ongoing project in two neighborhoods in Newark, New Jersey, United States, where place-based data analyses and community expertise are being leveraged to tackle local challenges through a multi-disciplinary collaborative approach. Community-based organizations lead these efforts with support from the Newark Public Safety Collaborative (NPSC), an initiative launched in 2018 by the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice in partnership with the Newark Mayor's Office and the Newark Police Department to democratize data access to empower communities as co-producers of public safety.

This initiative embraces a multi-stakeholder approach integrating strategies that address mental health, housing conditions, community outreach, and environmental beautification, among other efforts. Ultimately, it prioritizes participatory research, ensuring that the communities most affected by crime play a central role in decision-making to find sustainable solutions to improve public safety.

Authors

• Adriana Santos, Rutgers University

• Alejandro Gimenez-Santana, Rutgers University

• Gaspard Tissandier, School of Criminal Justice Rutgers University-Newark