Improving Safety in Washington Park:
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“The key to lowering crime rates, improving the quality of life and continued revitalization is collective efficacy — the willingness of residents to come together and act on each other’s behalf,” Hassell says. “Community input is essential to addressing neighborhood crime and safety issues.” 29
imberly Hassell, associate professor, criminal justice, is serving as the research partner for a federally-funded crimereduction initiative that has a neighborhood focus. The $600,000 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant aims, in large part, to improve the public safety of Milwaukee’s Washington Park neighborhood, doing so with significant involvement from residents and community organizers. The heart of the Byrne Initiative is to improve public safety and the effectiveness of law enforcement through relationship building and collaborative problem solving among Milwaukee Police Department personnel, Washington Park residents, and community organizations. Hassell is playing a key role in the planning and evaluation of this three-year, research-based initiative, which started January 2013. She was asked to fill the crucial role of research partner by the Milwaukee Police Department, Byrne Initiative’s grantee. Other partners include Washington Park Partners, Safe & Sound and LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation). Signs of revitalization have recently appeared in this west-side neighborhood of 15,000 residents, including the construction of 150 homes and businesses, the restoration of hundreds of acres of public parkland and the introduction of an ecology center and arts gallery.