Community Safety Working Group | President's Council on UVA-Community Partnerships
Community Safety Implementation Group
formed in January, 2024 the information below can be found in the
Community Safety Implementation Group Charter
Mission Statement: The Community Safety Implementation Group (CSIG) is dedicated to translating the recommendations outlined by the Community Safety Working Group (CSWG) into actionable initiatives to enhance community safety, reduce violence, and promote holistic well-being in Charlottesville/Albemarle.
Purpose: The purpose of the CSIG is to implement and coordinate the implementation of the recommendations put forth by the CSWG, ensuring they are executed effectively and efficiently to achieve tangible outcomes within a timeframe, as determined by the group.
Scope: The CSIG's scope encompasses all aspects of the implementation process, including but not limited to resource allocation, stakeholder engagement, coordination with relevant community organizations, monitoring of progress, and adjustment of strategies as needed.
Goals:
- Facilitate the translation of CSWG recommendations into practical, measurable action plans.
- Coordinate efforts among various stakeholders, including representatives from the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, the University of Virginia, community organizations, law enforcement agencies, and residents.
- Source, gain access to, and allocate resources strategically to support the implementation of community safety initiatives.
- Foster transparency, accountability, and communication throughout the implementation process.
- Coordinate with the metrics committee of the President’s Council to monitor progress and evaluate the impact of implemented strategies on community safety outcomes.
Membership: The CSIG membership shall consist of representatives from key stakeholder groups, including but not limited to:
- The City of Charlottesville and The County of Albemarle
- Law enforcement agencies
- University of Virginia
At times, the group will bring in others to assist with the implementation of community efforts:
- Community leaders and organizations involved in community safety efforts
- Education stakeholders
- Mental health professionals
Membership may also include individuals with expertise in relevant fields, as deemed necessary by the CSIG leadership.
Currently members of the Community Safety Implementation Group Include representatives from:
Albemarle County Department of Human Services
Albemarle County Public Schools
Albemarle County Police Department
Charlottesville City Public Schools
Charlottesville City Police Department
Charlottesville Department of Human Services
University of Virginia, Equity Center
University of Virginia, Gun Violence Solutions Project
University of Virginia Police Department
Original Working Group Members
Claudia Allen, Family Stress Clinic in UVA Department of Family Medicine (Co-Chair)
Charlene Green, Piedmont Housing Alliance, President’s Council (Co-Chair)
Kaki Dimock, Albemarle County Social Services
Rev. Alvin Edwards, Mount Zion Church
Dan Eggleston, Chief, Albemarle County Fire & Rescue
Misty Graves, Human Services, Charlottesville
Robert Gray, The Uhuru Foundation
Tom von Hemert, CIT coordinator
Eric Irizarry, ACPS, President’s Council
Toni Irving, UVA Darden School of Business
Denise Johnson, Charlottesville Public Schools
Michael Kochis, City of Charlottesville Chief of Police
Kate Lambert, Boys and Girls Club
Tim Longo, UVA Chief of Police
Jackie Martin, UVA Health
Sue Moffett, Social Services, City of Charlottesville
Harold Patterson, Region 10; Street-level intervention
Sean Reeves, Albemarle County Chief of Police
Kyndall Walker, UVA Student
William Washington, Clergy, Bridge Ministry Re-entry Program (Jay James as designee)
Regine Wright, Charlottesville Public Schools
Charge
Collaborate with representatives from the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, community and UVA to identify ways to improve community safety, leverage existing resources and services, and recommend activities that have the greatest potential for immediate impact on our local community.
Scope of Work
Gather data on existing programs supporting/promoting community safety and available resources to include youth programming, criminal justice reform, and existing resources and services related to improving community safety.
Identify gaps and evaluate barriers to success in regional services and care coordination.
Engage, listen, and solicit feedback from variety of stakeholders who work in the space of community safety but are not on the formal working group. Incorporate their feedback into recommendations.
Develop recommendations focused on short- and medium-term measures that create tangible impact in the areas of mental and behavioral health, youth programming and public safety/agency coordination.
Deliverables
This working group will develop a report with recommendations focused on short- and medium-term efforts to enhance community safety. The report should also include anticipated resources required for implementation as appropriate.
Required Considerations
Recommendations may leverage existing resources and services, but should not be duplicative of efforts that already exist in our community.
Recommendations should leverage the work of existing President’s Council focus areas in order to maximize impact.
The group should align with the Karsh Institute Research Lab on Gun Violence to best collaborate on long term priorities.
The group will continue to meet for as long as it produces actionable ideas and identifies pathways for implementation.