07/26/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 07/26/2024 15:15
The Safe Blocks Program helps all Portlanders feel safe and connected through trainings and education, place-based security assessments, neighborhood improvement projects, and community-building activities.
Safe Blocks works directly with the community to increase feelings of safety and reduce crime rates in areas suffering from historical disinvestment, high rates of social vulnerability, and high rates of gun violence. Examples of Safe Blocks projects include increasing green space, improving lighting, and making traffic control enhancements to increase safety and decrease opportunities for crime.
In March 2024, Safe Blocks received a $2 million Federal Byrne Grantto fund place-based community violence intervention programming over four years in Portland's Hazelwood, Eliot, and Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhoods. Residents in these neighborhoods along with Cully, Portsmouth, and Lents are encouraged to take a community safety surveyto help inform the grant's projects. Safe Blocks is also in the final stages of recruiting and hiring a project manager to oversee the grant.
Rose City Self-Defenseis an empowerment-based self-defense program that offers community-based classes and workshops for youth and adults. All RCSD programming is free because classes and workshops are taught by volunteer self-defense instructors. Since its start, RCSD has provided self-defense training to more than 45,000 students, and workshops to over 120,000 participants.
In June, RCSD served more than 200 participants at 16 workshops, one community-based class and one youth summer camp. Trainings included personal safety, safety and self-defense, youth curriculum, community-based curriculum, and de-escalation.
RCSD also hired interns for the Lents Youth Initiative through the SummerWorksprogram. The interns will spend 100 hours learning about urban planning, civic engagement, historical data around Portland - including its racist history of redlining - and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED).
For more information, visit Safe Blocks at https://www.portland.gov/safe-blocks, email us at [email protected], or call 503-823-4064.