What we do

Neighborhood Safety uses public health approaches to help reduce the impact of violence on our communities.
A community-wide, long-term approach
A community-wide, long-term approach

Collaborate

Everyone has a role to play in creating communities that don’t include violence. It takes us all to make our communities safe, healthy, hopeful, and thriving.

We work with many partners, including:

  • Elected officials and justice system partners
  • Health care and research organizations
  • Individual community members and community programs
  • Members of the business, nonprofit and faith communities
  • Other city departments and government jurisdictions
  • Schools, libraries and parks

Coordinate

There is no single, quick fix to violence.  We look at the big picture and coordinate with our partners to create lasting change by creating a balance of: 

  • Long-term strategies to address the root causes of violence 
  • Immediate responses to reduce the impact of pressing violence 

We rely on science and research. At the same time, we coordinate with community to develop and understand new and innovative strategies.  

Learn about our approach

 

Our approach recognizes

Violence is complex

Violence has roots in social, economic, political, and cultural conditions. Some things that can impact violence are:

  • Income inequality
  • Lack of safe, stable, affordable housing
  • Under-resourced public services and schools
  • Lack of opportunity and perceptions of hopelessness
  • Community disinvestment
  • Community disconnectedness
  • Harmful norms around gender and masculinity
  • Oppression
  • Racism

Violence takes an unequal toll on communities of color and specific neighborhoods. We need to dismantle structural racism to prevent violence.

Violence is cyclical

People hurt once are at increased risk of getting hurt again. Some victims of violence repeat violence they’ve experienced. 

Sometimes, we need strategies that can reduce violence now. But to end violence, we need strategies that can break the cycle.

Violence is not inevitable

Violence can act like a disease. As with other treatable communicable diseases, we can use public health approaches to: 

  • Protect against violence happening in the first place
  • Put measures in place to stop the spread of violence
  • Treat violence and ensure that individuals and communities can heal from it so that it doesn’t happen again
People walking downtown

Approach to prevent violence

We explain the public health approach to reducing violence and tell you about our programs.

Contact us

 

Neighborhood Safety

Address

250 Fourth St S, Room 110
Minneapolis, MN 55415