Approach To Violence In Lakewood: Intersectional & Holistic Safety Approaches From Council Members Kepple, Neff And Shachner

The following communication was submitted to Lakewood City Council on April 19, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

Recently, a confluence of events and circumstances has led many community members to express fears about their safety. We too share your concerns and feel the anxiety associated with the recent violent crimes. We hear and share worries over rising gun violence, vehicle thefts and car jackings, harassment and violence against women, racial violence and health inequities, substance abuse, and speeding and reckless driving. Research indicates that many of these crimes and behaviors are interconnected and have been exacerbated across the nation by the stress and economic hardship of the COVID-19 pandemic, yet we cannot rely on the reduction of COVID to diminish them. We must be proactive and forward thinking. While these safety issues may not be unique to Lakewood, our response to them can and should be unique and rooted in our community’s values. As we look toward a post-pandemic future, we recommend the following intersectional, preventative measures to augment the work of our traditional safety forces and ensure the safety of all Lakewood residents, workers, and visitors.

1. We recommend the formation of an Intersectional Safety Task Force, or Safety 360 Task Force, made up of diverse members of the Lakewood community with a combination of lived experience, social services knowledge, mental health training, anti-racist expertise, and public safety background to engage with City leadership including the Police, Fire, Human Services and Planning Departments to consider safety from a holistic lens together and to recommend preventative and proactive measures that Lakewood can take such as education and awareness campaigns, hiring personnel such as a separate Public Safety Director, community stewards, or park ambassadors.

2. Consider use of American Rescue Plan Funds to implement research-based gun violence prevention strategies such as those suggested by the research of Everytown for Gun Safety including street outreach programs, group violence intervention, and community-driven crime prevention through environmental design. The environmental design strategy combined with street outreach programs are particularly promising approaches to reclaim our parks as gun-violence free zones. In fact, Councilmembers Tess Neff and Sarah Kepple have spent the last three weeks in conversation with members of the administration and community regarding implementing similar strategies.

3. Schedule regular opportunities for the Administration, Division Directors and Chiefs to update Council about concerns, achievements, and requests for support regarding safety.

Safety is a broad and deep-reaching concern affecting all Lakewood community members, including, but not limited to, residents, business owners, City safety forces and human services, Council, and the Administration. We therefore request that this communication be referred to the Committee of the Whole, the Anti-Racism Task Force, and any other relevant groups so as to invite the most inclusive input and discussion.

Sincerely,

Councilmember At-Large, Sarah Kepple, Councilmember Ward 2, Jason Shachner, Councilmember Ward 1, Tess Neff