SAFE Alliance

Dr. Patrick Gerkin and Dr. John Walsh were part of SAFE Alliance, a community group that developed neighborhood violence reduction initiatives within the city of Grand Rapids. The group, led by Grand Rapids City Commissioner, Senita Lenear, met for nine months and on March 24 presented recommendations to city leaders.  Both professors served as authors on the report and Dr. Walsh also served as a SAFE Alliance member.  The report includes 50 recommendations and introduces new community crime prevention initiatives and identifies several crime prevention strategies that serve as “best practice models” across the country. The report also suggests ways the city and police departments can improve collaborative efforts with neighborhood associations, churches, schools and other organizations.