Seattle Neighborhood Group

SEATTLE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP EDUCATES, ORGANIZES, AND COLLABORATES WITH RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, GOVERNMENT ENTITIES AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO CREATE SAFE COMMUNITIES THROUGH EQUITABLE ENGAGEMENT, WITH A FOCUS ON UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS. SEATTLE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP ENVISIONS CRIME-FREE COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE PROBLEMS, CHILDREN PLAY WITHOUT FEAR AND BUSINESSES THRIVE.

2021 WAS A YEAR OF RECOVERY FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. STAFF SUPPORTED COMMUNITY MEMBERS BY HELPING THEM GET VACCINES AS WELL AS HIGHER QUALITY MASKS. WE ALSO COLLABORATED AND PARTNERED WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE FOOD RELIEF TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WE CONTINUED TO HOLD SOME EVENTS VIRTUALLY AND STARTED HOSTING OUTSIDE IN-PERSON EVENTS. WE CONTINUED TO ADJUST TO MEET THE NEEDS AND CHALLENGES FACING OUR COMMUNITIES. THE IMPACT SAFE SCHOOLS LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE: THIS CONFERENCE WAS HOSTED ONLINE AGAIN. SCHOOLS WERE MOSTLY IN-PERSON, BUT SINCE THIS EVENT WOULD INVOLVE STUDENTS FROM MULTIPLE SCHOOLS, WE FELT IT WAS SAFER TO HOST THE CONFERENCE VIRTUALLY. THE CONFERENCE THEME WAS HEALTHY MINDS, HEALTHY COMMUNITIES, AND FEATURED GUEST SPEAKERS. SEATTLE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP STAFF PARTICIPATED IN BREAKOUT ROOMS ALONGSIDE FACILITATORS ALLOWING SPACE FOR YOUTH VOICES TO BE HEARD. BUSINESS SAFETY PROGRAM: SEATTLE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP'S CRIME PREVENTION BUSINESS OUTREACH FOCUSES ON HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY BIPOC, AND IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE BUSINESSES, AND BUSINESSES LOCATED IN SNG'S CRIME HOT SPOT AREAS. THROUGH ONE-ON-ONE ENCOUNTERS WE LISTEN TO CHALLENGES FACED BY BUSINESS OWNERS AND OFFER HELP AND TIPS. WE SHARE PRINTED INFORMATION IN SPANISH, CHINESE, AMHARIC, TIGRINYA, VIETNAMESE, ENGLISH, AND OTHER LANGUAGES. WE ADDRESS BARRIERS TO INFORMATION AND RESOURCES, THIS BUSINESS POPULATION HAD BIG CHALLENGES, ESPECIALLY DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND RECOVERY. CHALLENGES INCLUDED ACCESSING CREDIBLE, AUTHORITATIVE, AND CURRENT INFORMATION THAT COULD HELP THEM KEEP THEIR BUSINESSES RUNNING SAFELY, IF NOT PROFITABLY. THIS YEAR WE WILL FOCUS AT LEAST HALF OF OUR OUTREACH TO SMALL BUSINESSES IN OUR FOCUS NEIGHBORHOODS USING OUTDOOR URBAN SPACE FOR SERVICE DURING COVID-19, WHILE KEEPING STAFF AND CUSTOMERS SAFE. RAINIER BEACH: A BEAUTIFUL SAFE PLACE FOR YOUTH (ABSPY) IS AN INNOVATIVE AND COMMUNITY-LED CRIME PREVENTION INITIATIVE IN THE RAINIER BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. WE IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS THE PLACE- BASED CAUSES OF YOUTH VICTIMIZATION AND CRIME AT FIVE FOCUS LOCATIONS, KNOWN AS "HOTSPOTS," IN THE RAINIER BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD. IN ADDITION, WE ENGAGE THE RAINIER BEACH COMMUNITY, SEATTLE POLICE, AND MANY OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESSES, AND SCHOOLS TO IMPLEMENT NON- ARREST INTERVENTIONS. THE PLACE-BASED, NON-ARREST APPROACH IS FOUNDED ON RESEARCH AT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY'S (GMU) CENTER FOR EVIDENCE-BASED CRIME POLICY, WHICH DETERMINED THAT CRIME IMPACTING YOUTH IS HIGHLY CONCENTRATED AT THE PLACE. THE RESEARCH FURTHER INDICATES THAT FORMAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE APPROACHES CAN NEGATIVELY AFFECT YOUTH, THEIR FUTURES, THEIR FAMILIES, AND THEIR COMMUNITY. PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM IN SOUTH PARK: IN THE SOUTH PARK NEIGHBORHOOD OF SEATTLE, WA, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COORDINATOR CONTINUED TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY SAFETY EFFORTS. THESE EFFORTS INCLUDED YOUTH ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES, NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN-UPS, BUSINESS OUTREACH, AND GANG GRAFFITI PAINT-OUTS. OUTREACH PROGRAM TO EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY: WE CONTINUED OUR OUTREACH TO SENIORS IN THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY. WE HELPED WITH GETTING THEM EDUCATED ON COVID-19 VACCINES AND GETTING THEM TO VACCINE CLINICS. WE ALSO COLLABORATED WITH VARIOUS PARTNERS TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY SAFETY INFORMATION AND HELPED PROVIDE FOOD VOUCHERS, BUS TICKETS, AND SUPPLIES SUCH AS TOTE BAGS, FLASHLIGHTS, AND FIRST AID KITS.

THE SAFE COMMUNITIES PROJECT EMPHASIZES CRIME PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY BUILDING IN SEATTLE'S MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES THROUGH COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS. WE PROVIDE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, CRIME PREVENTION EDUCATION, GRASS ROOTS ORGANIZING AND CRIME "HOTSPOT" PROBLEM SOLVING. OUTCOMES INCLUDE CONNECTING PEOPLE TO THEIR COMMUNITIES AND PROVIDING ACCESS TO COMMUNITY SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES. WE WORK TO REDUCE THE SPECIFIC COMMUNITY RISK FACTORS OF COMMUNITY DISORGANIZATION; PERCEIVED AVAILABILITY OF DRUGS AND FIREARMS; AND LAWS AND NORMS FAVORABLE TO NEIGHBORHOOD ATTACHMENT. SEATTLE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP COLLABORATES IN PLACE-BASED PROBLEM-SOLVING USING CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN SITE ANALYSIS IN HIGH CRIME LOCATIONS, PROVIDES COMMUNITY SUPPORT AT VARIOUS EVENTS, CONDUCTS COMMUNITY EDUCATION IN CRIME PREVENTION FOR PROPERTY OWNERS & MANAGERS, PERSONAL SAFETY, VEHICLE SECURITY, AND IDENTIFYING SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY. OUR BROCHURES ARE AVAILABLE IN 11 LANGUAGES AND OUR TRAININGS REGULARLY INCORPORATE INTERPRETATION FOR VARIOUS LANGUAGE GROUPS AS NEEDED.