Public Safety

Crime is evolving. Gangs are infiltrating our city. Cybercrimes are increasing. Crimes against our most vulnerable populations and break-ins/burglaries occur daily. Not to mention the rise in violent crimes. The southern and central areas of Greensboro, including the area south of downtown and some neighborhoods along W. Market St. are known to be our community's highest crime area. To address public safety concerns, we need to support our law enforcement agencies from the city level up to the federal level. At the city level, we must ensure they have current training and the necessary equipment to do their jobs.  Develop quality working relationships with area agencies. Maintain SROs in our schools year-round. Establish a public safety committee composed of citizens, businesses, schools, colleges, council members, and law enforcement agencies to develop and execute plans for integrating law enforcement into our communities, fostering proactive rather than reactive responses.  The public safety committee could focus on topics such as youth mentoring programs, assessing mental health and drug treatment needs, and evaluating program success rates. How can we involve church and civic leaders, medical professionals, youth sports directors, Scout leaders, and local clubs to increase neighborhood interactions with police?

Violent crime times are typically 7 to 8 minutes. Non-violent crime response times will be a bit longer because they lack the necessary police support: up-to-date training, proper working equipment, and staffing.