“More intensive training and community outreach. Police need to actually get out and ask people their thoughts on the violence and crime here to get the people’s input, and then they can focus their efforts on how to reduce violence in marginalized communities based on the community’s input.”
“I would definitely start by taking all the numbers from police patrolling and bringing them to the community for input. Holding community events or having shelters for homeless people may help as well. I feel like police are the people who are removing the homeless people from places to clear the streets, but they need to get out around more of the people in the city.”
“I don’t even need to think about my answer. It is simple, empower the people.”
“Get rid of guns. America is not mentally healthy to own guns. People of color, we buy guns to kill each other, and White folks buy guns because they are scared of us. It is not gun rights; it is gun fear.”
“If the police got more involved within the community, I feel that would curb some of the crime here. I don’t know what that could entail, because there are so many different things. Maybe if they did things like putting together events to make the community feel welcome, or getting them in a space where it is not uncomfortable, it would almost feel like a family gathering type of space. Doing things that make the community feel more comfortable will help us feel more comfortable trusting law enforcement to make a change.”
“I think that we should invest in our community by having the police be a part of it. I think that right now, it feels really separate. They seem like they’re policing us instead of being community servants as they’re supposed to be, so being a part of the community, talking to people, figuring out what we need and where we need people.”
