COURTESY OF 27J SCHOOLS

lighting. “We were met with 100% buy-in.”

“ ose improvements alone cannot make a safer community. But those improvements are an indicator that a community is involved in its own well-being,” explained architect Ignacio Correa-Ortiz, an urban planner who helped choose projects for the state to fund.

Twenty-three communities large and small across the state have until the end of June to complete more than $6.2 million in grant-funded projects that authorities say are part of a shift in the mindset around law enforcement and crime prevention.

“We’re really good at responding and arresting somebody for drugs

“In my opinion, the future of law enforcement is all in crime prevention,” said Delta County code enforcement o cer Everett Neil.

“ e best way to handle an issue properly is to keep it from happening in the rst place.”

Neil helped to dream up his county’s grant-funded project after neighbors got together and asked the sheri and county commissioners to help them reduce the crime in their community.

He said he suggested the county fund removal of an abandoned mobile home in the neighborhood that had become a draw for criminal ac-

“ at’s when I realized, well, if we’re getting rid of the mobile home, you know what? Let’s do some fencing. You know what, if we’re gonna do fencing, shoot, let’s do some lighting,” Neil said. “Let’s do a bus stop too, for the kids. And so we started brainstorming.”

Before applying for the funds, Neil and the county’s grant writer visited the neighborhood to make sure the community would support the improvements, most of which would occur on private property.

“ e grant writer and I went down to the neighborhood. We knocked on every door. We talked to every resident, and we wanted to know if they would be willing to participate in this kind of a program, because there is some cost,” he said, noting that residents may see slightly higher electric bills due to the new

“I can’t tell you how many times [Neil] has been to my door saying, ‘ is is what’s going on. is is where we’re at in the process. What do you think about this? I need your input,’” Burns said. “It’s a rare thing, honestly, to feel that the county is being this responsive.”

Neil said he anticipates the changes will make the neighborhood safer, and he made a bold prediction.

“I fully predict that we’ll be able to reduce the crime in this area through this initiative, at least by 50%,” Neil said.

“It’s something that’s exciting to see and start from the ground up,” Sheri Taylor said. “I hope it works. I hope it’s something that we can use in the future.” is story is from Rocky Mountain PBS, a nonpro t public broadcaster providing community stories across Colorado over the air and online. Used by permission. For more, and to support Rocky Mountain PBS, visit rmpbs.org. publication of

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