Vera Institute of Justice

Cities across the country are increasingly investing in evidence-based approaches to preventing violence and responding to mental health and substance use crises. These investments have played a role in historic crime declines nationwide.  Yet in many places, these essential services are provided by a scattered mix of nonprofits and government agencies. Without coordination, stable funding, and consistent political support, it is difficult for these investments to reliably meet the needs of the public.

Public safety anchor institutions, like the Department of Community Safety proposed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, have emerged as a clear solution to this issue. These public agencies house and invest in a range of resources, such as crisis response services, peer support, violence intervention, trauma recovery, and more, to increase safety and stability for people and neighborhoods facing crisis. They coordinate and manage all these various tools as part of a single comprehensive public safety plan.

Though a department’s functions will vary by jurisdiction, they commonly contain the following components:

• alternative first response services, which dispatch trained civilian professionals to answer 911 calls involving behavioral health crises and other health and social concerns;
• violence intervention and prevention, which can address community violence, intimate partner violence, and other forms of interpersonal violence;
• support for people returning from incarceration, spanning transitional and permanent employment assistance, peer support and mentorship, cognitive behavioral therapy, and wraparound services; and
• services for victims and survivors of crime, which can include trauma recovery centers and other healing-oriented services.

With a department of community safety to build and coordinate these resources alongside other first responders like police, fire, and EMS, cities and localities can make the most of their public safety resources and deliver the safety their communities deserve.

 

Anchoring Safer Communities: Department of Community Safety Resources

 

• What a Department of Community Safety Could Look Like in New York City—and Beyond. Although a department of community safety would be new for New York City, similar agencies already exist and are making an impact in places like Durham, North Carolina; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Newark, New Jersey; and more.
• Public Safety Anchor Institutions Explained. Public safety anchor institutions, such as community safety departments, help cities and counties develop, coordinate, and implement a comprehensive public safety strategy. Learn more about how these institutions shape effective and efficient services.
• Five Big Ideas for New York City’s Next Mayor to Deliver Safety, Accountability, and Justice. In the run-up to New York City’s 2026 mayoral election, Vera envisioned five ways the city’s new leader can deliver safety, accountability, and justice. Many of these policies are increasingly relevant as the city now seeks to develop its Department of Community Safety.
• Coordinating Safety. Public safety anchor institutions have key roles to play in making sure that communities have the resources they need to thrive. Vera conducted 20 interviews and focus groups to learn what it takes to set new institutions up for success.
• Coordinating Alternative First Response: Key Lessons and Recommendations from New Orleans. In June 2023, Vera helped New Orleans launch a citywide, 24/7 non-police response to 911 calls involving people experiencing behavioral health crisis. Its first year of service holds critical lessons for any city wishing to do the same.
• Civilian Crisis Response Toolkit: A Toolkit for Equitable Alternatives to Police. Skilled and accessible crisis response is essential to any comprehensive safety system. Here’s how to plan, staff, and evaluate alternative first response to serve communities.