Reimagining Community Safety: Perceptions of Policy and Practice in Five Cities

The John Jay College Research and Evaluation Center and the Urban Institute helped the National League of Cities’ Center for Municipal Practice to support local government leaders in five U.S. cities as they worked to reimagine their visions for public safety. The Municipalities Reimagining Community Safety (MRCS) initiative was supported by the Wells Fargo Foundation’s Social Impact and Sustainability commitment. As research partner for the project, the Research and Evaluation Center (JohnJayREC) designed a three-wave survey focused on measuring the perceptions of local stakeholders involved in public safety efforts in each city. Results from the survey highlighted stakeholder opinions about the efficacy and equity of their city’s approaches to crime prevention and community well-being. Researchers explored trends across and within cities to assess the effects and success of the MRCS initiative.