Safety with Compassion: Building Trust in Our Communities

Safety in our neighborhoods should never come at the cost of compassion. When we create policies and programs to protect our communities, we must remember that real safety is rooted in care, connection, and understanding.

Too often, we focus only on reacting to crime instead of preventing it. But the truth is, many dangerous behaviors stem from deeper challenges—mental health struggles, lack of opportunity, and disconnection. That’s why I believe in community-based solutions that meet people where they are. Mental health response teams, youth engagement programs, and community policing efforts that build trust are not just compassionate—they’re effective.

Of course, we also need law enforcement programs that respond quickly and professionally when crime occurs. But these must be balanced with long-term strategies that strengthen the health of our communities. We can—and must—do both.

When leading the Kent School Board, I could see the impacts when a student didn’t feel they could trust an authority figure, whether that be a counselor, teacher, or law enforcement officer. That lack of trust created an instant barrier that not only accelerated the chance of a negative encounter, it also put blocks in the way of accessing wrap-around services and career development training. In the end a cycle of hopelessness would develop.

That’s why starting at positive relationships - through community policing, collaboration with mental health counselors and behavioral intervention specialists - can create lasting growth on the individual, neighborhood, and community-wide levels. Strengthening our community starts at the individual level.