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The Public Safety Ecosystem & Roadmap

Home The Public Safety Ecosystem & Roadmap

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Building a Community of Trusted Safety

What is a Public Safety Ecosystem?

The Public Safety Ecosystem recognizes that true safety is not solely the responsibility of policing. It is the interconnected network of people, systems, and institutions that work together to create a healthy environment where everyone can thrive. Each component, whether a formal agency or an informal community network, shares the goal of keeping residents safe, supported, and connected to resources in times of need. This ecosystem includes, but is not limited to, law enforcement, hospitals, grassroots organizations, businesses of all sizes, and other entities committed to the well-being of the community

Meet Our Expert:

Doug Merritt

Director, Partnership for a Safer Cleveland

Details about Doug go here.

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Learning from People Who Understand.

Credible Messengers

A credible messenger is a unique kind of person. This is a person who has spent their time in the justice system for whatever crime they committed and has undergone a personal transformation during that period. As a result, once their sentence has expired, they become a familiar face within the community who can spark relationships, mentor, and influence individuals at the highest risk of violence within the community in a trustworthy manner.

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The People Make it Work.

Street Outreach

Street outreach is a relationship-driven approach to community safety that engages directly with people where they live, work, and gather, especially those most affected by violence or instability. Outreach workers build trust, connect individuals to critical resources, and address root causes of harm such as poverty, housing insecurity, mental health needs, and unemployment. Their work spans prevention, intervention, and recovery, helping to strengthen individual and neighborhood resilience.

Understanding a Safe & Healthy Home.

The Public Health Model

The current Public Health Model uses the scientific method to diagnose and combat violence as a preventable disease. To do so, the model uses four simple steps. First, you need to define the problem, which means collecting information to understand where, who, and how violence occurs. Next, you want to identify risk and protective measures, which means that you need to understand what puts people at risk and what could protect them. After that, strategies must be developed and tested. Examples of programs or policies that facilitate youth outreach, such as gun safety initiatives, need to be evaluated to determine their effectiveness. And lastly, the widespread adoption of these strategies across neighborhoods and cities needs to be monitored and adjusted over time.

Violence Prevention Programs:

Violence Prevention Programs are typically run by organizations such as schools, hospitals, and other community groups with the focus of addressing the root causes of violence to stop it before it happens. This includes things like education, trauma healing, and conflict resolution to reduce violence by providing skills and support to strengthen protective factors to individuals who are at-risk of involvement in violence, victims, witnesses, bystanders, and perpetrators.

Hospital Based Violence Intervention Programs (HBVIP):

HVIPs operate on the understanding that a hospital visit after a violent injury, such as a gunshot, stabbing, or assault, is a critical “teachable moment” when individuals may be more open to change. Within the public safety ecosystem, these programs: engage at the point of care, build trust through lived experience, address root causes, coordinate across sectors and reduce retaliation & reinjury.

HVIPs are a vital connector in the public safety ecosystem, translating a moment of crisis into a pathway toward stability. They complement policing, street outreach, and social services by focusing on intervention at a vulnerable point, ultimately contributing to lower violence rates and stronger community resilience.


Wraparound Services :

Wraparound services in public health are coordinated, individualized, and holistic supports that address not only a person’s medical needs but also their social, emotional, educational, housing, and economic challenges, functioning through collaboration among healthcare providers, social services, schools, and community organizations to reduce barriers, stabilize families, and promote long-term health and well-being.

Doug Merritt

Director, Partnership for a Safer Cleveland

Details about Doug go here.

Dignity, Health, & Community

Healing-Centered Engagement

In a public safety ecosystem, healing-centered engagement works as both a philosophy and a practice that shapes how agencies, outreach workers, and service providers interact with individuals and communities. It is an approach that moves beyond simply addressing trauma, it focuses on fostering well being, dignity, and hope by recognizing people’s strengths, cultural identity, and capacity to heal collectively. Healing-centered engagement in the public safety ecosystem is the glue that ensures safety efforts aren’t just about preventing harm, but also about repairing relationships, restoring trust, and building conditions where communities can thrive.

Crisis Response & Alternate Pathways

Diversion and Alternate Pathways

Diversion and alternate pathways are strategies that steer individuals, particularly those accused of low-level or non-violent offenses, away from the traditional criminal legal process and toward supportive, restorative, or rehabilitative services. Instead of defaulting to arrest, prosecution, or incarceration, these approaches connect people to resources that address underlying needs, reduce harm, and prevent future involvement with the justice system. Diversion and alternate pathways act as gateways to help instead of punishment, reinforcing a system-wide commitment to safety, restoration, and equity. They rely on collaboration between law enforcement, courts, social services, community-based organizations, and outreach teams, making them a central component of a healthy, interconnected safety network.

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Coordinated Crisis Response Teams (CCRTs)

Coordinated Crisis Response Teams (CCRTs) are multi-disciplinary units designed to respond to mental health emergencies, substance use crises, and other non-violent incidents in ways that prioritize safety, de-escalation, and connection to care over punitive measures. They combine expertise from behavioral health, medical care, social services, and sometimes law enforcement to ensure the right responder is dispatched for the situation. CCRTs function as a bridge between public safety and public health, ensuring that emergencies driven by mental health or social needs are met with compassion, expertise, and pathways to stability. By working alongside law enforcement, hospitals, street outreach, and community-based providers, they create a more responsive and humane safety network.

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Socioeconomic Equity

Socioeconomic equity in public health is the fair distribution of resources, opportunities, and support systems so that individuals and communities can achieve their full health potential regardless of income, education, employment, or social status, which in practice means reducing structural barriers like poverty and housing instability, allocating resources proportionately to areas of greater need, ensuring access to healthcare, nutritious food, safe housing, education, and employment, and designing policies that address the root causes of health disparities while creating pathways for upward mobility that strengthen both individual health outcomes and community well-being.

Keeping Safety Offenders Accountable.

The Criminal Justice System

The criminal justice system is the network of agencies and processes established by governments to manage crime, enforce laws, and ensure accountability. It includes law enforcement, the courts, and correctional institutions, as well as community supervision programs. In the public safety ecosystem, it functions as one component among many, focused on enforcement and adjudication, but increasingly connected to prevention, intervention, and reentry efforts. While traditionally reactive, the criminal justice system can work in partnership with other sectors, such as outreach, mental health services, and reentry programs, to address root causes of harm and promote restorative outcomes.

Delivering Juvenile Justice:

The juvenile justice system is a specialized branch of the justice system focused  on young people under a certain age (varies by state, often 18) who are alleged to  have committed offenses. It emphasizes rehabilitation over punishment,  recognizing that young people are still developing socially, emotionally, and cognitively. The juvenile justice system serves as both a safety net and a corrective mechanism, aiming to redirect young people away from future criminal behavior. When integrated with schools, outreach programs,  mentorship, and restorative practices, it can break cycles of harm and create pathways to opportunity rather than incarceration. 
 
Law Enforcement:
 

Law enforcement is a key part of the public safety ecosystem, working to prevent  crime through patrols and community engagement, respond to emergencies,  investigate incidents, and maintain public order. Beyond enforcement, officers collaborate with community groups and social services to address root causes of crime and support interventions. They also assist vulnerable populations through crisis teams and victim advocacy.

To build trust, agencies embrace accountability through oversight and transparency. Law enforcement’s role is  evolving from sole enforcers to partners in a broader network focused on prevention, connection to services, and holistic community safety. This shift  allows for more effective responses to complex social issues and helps foster  stronger relationships between officers and the communities they serve.  Ultimately, law enforcement contributes to creating safer, healthier neighborhoods through collaboration and shared responsibility. 

Improve Your Understanding:

"Weed & Seed"

Four fundamental principles underlie the Weed and Seed strategy. These include collaboration, coordination, community participation, and leveraging resources. These principles set Weed and Seed apart from traditional approaches of the past and are key to the success of the strategy at the neighborhood level.

  • Weed: remove violent offenders, drug traffickers, etc… from the community. With the aim of restoring safety and order.

  • Seed: rebuild and invest in the community through social services and prevention programs. With things like youth mentoring and job training, community policing (build trust between residents and police), and education as well as health services
Keeping our Future Safe.

Safe Schools for Education

Schools and educational institutions are foundational components of the public safety ecosystem, not just as places of academic learning, but as environments where social, emotional, and behavioral skills are built. They play a preventive role by fostering belonging, resilience, and opportunity, protective factors that reduce the likelihood of involvement in violence or the justice system. Schools are frontline hubs of prevention and opportunity, shaping the conditions for long-term community safety. By integrating education, emotional support, and community partnerships, they help reduce the need for reactive public safety measures and instead build stronger, healthier, and more connected communities 

Violence Prevention Programs:

Violence Prevention Programs are typically run by organizations such as schools, hospitals, and other community groups with the focus of addressing the root causes of violence to stop it before it happens. This includes things like education, trauma healing, and conflict resolution to reduce violence by providing skills and support to strengthen protective factors to individuals who are at-risk of involvement in violence, victims, witnesses, bystanders, and perpetrators.
 
Hospital Based Violence Intervention Programs (HBVIP):
 

HVIPs operate on the understanding that a hospital visit after a violent injury, such as a gunshot, stabbing, or assault, is a critical “teachable moment” when individuals may be more open to change. Within the public safety ecosystem, these programs: engage at the point of care, build trust through lived experience, address root causes, coordinate across sectors and reduce retaliation & reinjury.

HVIPs are a vital connector in the public safety ecosystem, translating a moment of crisis into a pathway toward stability. They complement policing, street outreach, and social services by focusing on intervention at a vulnerable point, ultimately contributing to lower violence rates and stronger community resilience.

 
Wraparound Services :
 
Wraparound services in public health are coordinated, individualized, and holistic supports that address not only a person’s medical needs but also their social, emotional, educational, housing, and economic challenges, functioning through collaboration among healthcare providers, social services, schools, and community organizations to reduce barriers, stabilize families, and promote long-term health and well-being.

Doug Merritt

Director, Partnership for a Safer Cleveland

Details about Doug go here.

Each Family is Part of our Plan.

Family Supports in Public Safety

Family support is services and resources designed to strengthen family stability, promote healthy relationships, and address challenges that may contribute to violence, trauma, or system involvement. These supports recognize the family as a critical unit of care and protection that influences individual well-being and community safety. Family support serves as a foundational layer that nurtures individual and community well-being. By empowering families and addressing root causes, these supports reduce the need for crisis intervention and create environments where safety and opportunity flourish.

Helping Hands from Across Cultures.

Faith-Based Communities

Faith-based organizations play a vital role in the public safety ecosystem by offering spiritual support, community connection, and resources that foster healing and resilience. They often serve as trusted spaces where individuals and families find guidance, conflict mediation, and social services. These organizations frequently collaborate with outreach workers, social service agencies, and law enforcement to support violence prevention and community-building efforts. Their moral leadership and grassroots presence help strengthen neighborhood cohesion and provide culturally relevant approaches to safety and restoration

Bringing Government & Leaders to the Table.

Civic & Economic Foundations

Private sector entities and businesses contribute to public safety by investing in economic opportunities, job creation, and community development. Employers provide training, employment pathways, and support services that address some of the root causes of crime, such as poverty and lack of opportunity. Local businesses often partner with public safety agencies and community groups to sponsor programs, improve neighborhood environments, and promote safe spaces.

Additionally, philanthropic organizations and foundations play a crucial role by funding innovative safety initiatives and supporting sustainable community efforts.

Welfare Benefits:

In the broadest definition, welfare or public benefits are financial aids and/or
services provided by the government to individuals and families, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities based upon their income level and family size.
Welfare or Benefits may be distributed in the form of cash payments (e.g. SSI or
TANF) or eligibility for non-cash programs/services (e.g. WIC or Head Start).
Common welfare programs include Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
(TANF); Women Infants Children (WIC); Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly “food stamps”); Supplemental Security Income (SSI); Earned Income Tax Credit (ETIC); Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP).
 
Public Housing:
 

Public Housing provides decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities and is subsidized by public funds. Public housing comes in a variety of forms from housing estates (both high- and low-rise apartment buildings), scatter-site single-family houses, to vouchers which can off-set the cost of housing in fair-market rentals.

 
Local & Federal Government and Policymakers:
 
These are individuals or organizations that are either directly or indirectly influenced by things that occur within the community. An example of this would be a small business. As a stakeholder, it is in the interest of the small business to have a safe community in which to provide its services.

Local & Federal governments and policymakers play a foundational role in shaping the public safety ecosystem by setting priorities, allocating resources,  and creating policies that guide how safety and justice are pursued in the community. They establish funding for law enforcement, social services,  schools, and community programs, ensuring these entities have the support  needed to operate effectively. Through legislation and strategic planning, they promote equity, accountability, and innovation across the ecosystem. Local leaders also serve as conveners, bringing together diverse stakeholders—from  public agencies to grassroots organizations—to collaborate on shared safety  goals. Their decisions influence the ecosystem’s ability to respond to challenges, invest in prevention, and build trust with residents.

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Improve Your Understanding:

Resources for Those Who Want
to Learn More.

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