Safe Neighborhoods Now!

What if we could lower crime and loneliness, save taxpayers’ money, and improve lives - all while saving $ billions? Here’s a proven way to make it happen. 

Let me share with you a real-life example that my friend, Stephanie Mann, orchestrated for a community. The non-profit network she leads, Safe Kids Now Network, is impacting communities across America. I first heard about Stephanie while flying from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia. Her daughter is a United Airlines flight attendant. She asked me what I did, and I informed her. Then she said, “You need to meet my mother. She has a community ministry just like you do.” I contacted Stephanie, and we have worked together for the last 15-plus years. Believe me when I say, Stephnie has real zeal and commitment to make communities better for both kids and adults.

Here's a recent report from Stephanie in her newsletter about a community that united around a common purpose and achieved impressive results worth emulating.  

The total cost of crime in the U.S., according to Wikipedia, was $4.9 trillion in 2021. The epidemic of loneliness, as reported by the Center for BrainHealth, costs taxpayers $406 billion annually and affects 62% of Americans. Loneliness was declared an epidemic by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy in 2023.

If we want safe neighborhoods, we need to encourage and involve residents in supporting one another, which also helps reduce loneliness. Community and city leaders can cut crime and violence and reduce anxiety and fear, as neighbors build trust and support one another.

The most effective way to decrease loneliness and crime is to bring community members together in their neighborhoods. City leaders should hire and train residents who reflect the community’s demographics and speak its language - helping neighbors connect. Getting neighbors involved is essential for building safe, healthy neighborhoods.

A father contacted the police because his 12-year-old daughter and her friends felt unsafe walking a few blocks to school due to a drug house and traffic on the corner. He demanded action. As a crime and violence prevention specialist working with the police, I helped the father organize neighbors and take charge of neighborhood safety. They created a schedule, collecting license plate numbers and descriptions of cars and “clients” without drawing attention as they walked their dogs, watered plants, played checkers, or strolled around the block. They also took photos because the police lacked enough personnel to gather that information on their own.

Within two and a half months, police gathered enough information to stop drug dealers, arrest “clients,” relocate homeless people, and everyone felt safer. The neighbors stayed connected through monthly meetings, social events, and youth programs, aiming to prevent gang involvement and discourage criminals from returning.

Social isolation decreased, and neighbors felt more valued as community spirit returned. They even organized a block party to celebrate their success in stopping the drug dealers. During this process, children, seniors, and parents depended on each other for support.

If we want safe and healthy neighborhoods, city leaders (or church leaders) need to hire and train “Neighborhood Safety Experts” who resemble and speak the language of their communities - bringing neighbors together to protect and empower families. People who know each other can help prevent crime and gang activity, reduce reliance on police, and address juvenile issues early. Involving neighbors truly makes all the difference in stopping social isolation and crime.

Today, we must ask: Who can improve your life - government handouts or personal responsibility demonstrated on-site? We, the people, need to show young people the importance of self-determination as they witness democracy in action. The bonus is that we can save billions of dollars in the process!

Here’s a statement by Jean-Jacques Rousseau in his influential book, The Social Contract. “As soon as people would rather serve with their money than with their persons, the state is not far from its fall.” There’s a lot of truth in this statement. And consider this statement: “When you give a check, something is drawn from your account; but when you give of yourself, something is deposited in you.”

Attention, Christ followers and those outstanding community-minded practitioners. There can be no community or personal transformation without incarnation. That is how Jesus entered humanity to save us - not from a distance, but as a participant, a fellow human being. Jesus was present, on-site, with insight. We seek a way into our community, not a way out. God desires more than belief and worship in church - God wants faith and love in the community. Be fruitful and multiply, don’t just enjoy paradise. Therefore, we must empower social entrepreneurs.

Social entrepreneurs like Stephanie Mann and Safe Kids Now combine cultural relevance with eternal significance. They are moved by needs in their communities and are considered “soul oxygen” for those communities. For example, they realize that we cannot ignore the government, as we are, by constitutional right, part of it. They love both their faith and their nation, city, community, or neighborhood, and choose the best way to show that care. They know there is a deep and lasting joy in doing something that is both culturally relevant and of eternal significance. Be the change.

If you want to learn more about Safe Kids Now or community initiatives like Stephanie mentioned, please get in touch with Stephanie at www.safekidsnow.com.

When it comes to safe neighborhoods now, the best tact is contact.