Comprehensive Neighborhood Safety Strategy
The Comprehensive Neighborhood Safety Strategy 2.0 reflects our commitment to begin new initiatives to address crime differently, while continuing to invest in proven safety strategies in Columbus. This strategy was developed with community feedback, insights from law enforcement professionals and data-driven, proven best practices from other cities. The City of Columbus continues to invest in innovative programs and work with partners to build stronger and safer neighborhoods through a broad-based approach involving local law enforcement, public health, recreation and parks, neighborhoods, businesses, community leaders, faith leaders and residents.
Safe Streets
The Safe Streets initiative utilizes uniformed bike officers to focus specifically on improving community-police relations while addressing community concerns and violent crime trends in each area. The goal of the program is to provide a visible uniformed presence for both enforcement and problem solving in areas where an increase in violence and criminal activity has been occurring. Officers serve as the first line of communication for residents needing city services and are tasked with engaging other city departments to resolve non-law enforcement related problems.
Group Violence Intervention
Group Violence Intervention (GVI) reduces homicide and gun violence, minimizes harm to communities by replacing enforcement with deterrence, and fosters stronger relationships between law enforcement and the people they serve. Community members join together with law enforcement and social service providers to focus a three-pronged antiviolence message on highly active street groups.
Rapid Response Emergency Addiction Crisis Team (RREACT)
The RREACT program is the first and only program of its kind in the country that brings EMS personnel, police officers, social workers and treatment facilities together to combat the ongoing opiate crisis. The program provides follow-up to overdose patients to connect them with treatment.
TAPS Academy
TAPS (Teens and Police Service) Academy is a program primarily designed for at-risk youth and police officer mentors. The goal of TAPS is to reduce the social distance between youth and law enforcement. Through this program, the two groups gain valuable insight about each other and the issues they face on a daily basis
Columbus CARE Coalition
The Columbus CARE (Community/Action/Resilience/Empowerment) Coalition is a collaborative effort led by Columbus Public Health and helps connect individuals, families and neighborhoods that have experienced trauma with resources and support in the community.
Alternative Crisis Response
The Alternative Response Pilot Program aims to provide more robust and precise emergency-response experiences citywide while reducing reliance on city police and fire in matters where other city or social services are better suited to resolve the situation.
Police Athletic League
The Columbus PAL (Police Athletic League) program will provide students with a safe environment in their neighborhoods, along with sports activities, mentorship, after-school programming, academic assistance, and career readiness. The Columbus PAL program will partner with local community stakeholders, such as Franklin County and Municipal Courts to involve kids in the juvenile justice system. As a community, our pathway forward involves providing meaningful opportunities for our youth to be successful in life.
Police Chaplains Program
Police Chaplains provide spiritual guidance and compassionate service to Columbus Division of Police personnel. Their services also extend to the residents of Columbus, bridging the gap that sometimes exists between officers and the people they serve.
VOICE
The VOICE (Violence, Outreach, Intervention and Community Engagement) program works alongside victims of crime to create positive change in their lives. Individuals are assessed to provide the following services: behavioral/mental health counseling; educational/vocational development; housing/legal assistance.
ReRoute
ReRoute, which is run by the CARE Coalition, involves micro-interventions for at-risk young people. The program provides grief counseling and wraparound resources to address housing inequalities and food insecurity.
PEP
In partnership with the Columbus Urban League and Franklin County Municipal Court, PEP (Parent Enrichment Program) provides parent enrichment classes and resources to families who have children on the cusp of entering the justice system.
MBK
My Brother’s Keeper is a program with initiatives that help boys and young men of color to move forward in a positive direction in their future. The work is rooted in the idea that we must work together in order to reach MBK’s key milestones and target barriers to success at the individual, organizational and systematic levels.
Nuisance Abatement
This is a cross-departmental program led by the Department of Neighborhoods to strengthen neighborhoods by coordinating the resources of our city to create physical deterrents to crime. Solutions may range from installing streetlights in alleys and cracking down on nuisance code issues to housing stabilization and after-school programming.
Legacy U
The mission of Legacy U is to develop and prepare student-athletes for college and beyond by providing comprehensive workshops, athletic training, and establishing meaningful relationships.
Neighborhood Violence and Intervention Program
Led by the Columbus Urban League, this program provides year-round gang intervention to participants ages 14-24 who live in the South Side and Near East side of Columbus. Specialists constructively mediate conflict and mentor and connect youth to positive opportunities.
Violent Crime Review Group
Led by the Department of Neighborhoods, VCRG gathers data from multiple city of Columbus departments in a coordinated effort to increase communications that helps the city develop neighborhood specific strategies to reduce violence.