OAKLAND, Calif. — A new Brookings Institution report examining public safety efforts in Oakland, Chicago and Washington, D.C., argues that reducing violence requires communities to look beyond traditional law enforcement strategies and invest in the neighborhood conditions that influence safety.
The report, written by Hanna Love and published July 22, examines how community leaders are using place-based approaches to address public safety while strengthening economic opportunities and neighborhood well-being.
According to Brookings, “violent and property crime have declined across the United States since 2023, with murder rates reaching historically low levels.” The report suggests that these declines should not lead communities to reduce their focus on prevention.
Instead, Brookings points to recent investments in community violence prevention and intervention, along with the return of schools, workplaces and public gathering spaces following the COVID-19 pandemic, as factors local and academic leaders believe may have contributed to improved safety. The report argues that maintaining this progress requires continued investment in programs and neighborhood institutions that address violence before it occurs.
Despite those improvements, the report argues that significant public safety concerns remain, particularly in neighborhoods experiencing poverty, disinvestment and limited economic mobility. Gun violence, according to the report, remains heavily concentrated within specific neighborhoods, streets and corridors rather than being evenly distributed throughout cities.
Brookings researchers studied three communities: the 7th Street Corridor in West Oakland, Back of the Yards in Chicago and Anacostia in Washington, D.C. Researchers examined how local organizations and government officials approached the relationship among public safety, economic development and community well-being.
In West Oakland, the report focuses on the historic 7th Street Corridor, once widely known as the “Harlem of the West.” While gun violence was not identified as the most immediate concern among every resident or community leader interviewed, researchers found that public and private disinvestment, visible homelessness and inadequate public maintenance contributed to negative perceptions of safety.
Local leaders have responded through the 7th Street Thrives initiative, which emphasizes basic neighborhood conditions such as reliable street lighting, trash removal and support for small businesses. The initiative also includes efforts to increase community ownership of real estate and strengthen the corridor’s long-term economic stability.
The Oakland example demonstrates one of the report’s central arguments: Public safety involves not only reducing violent crime but also creating environments where residents, visitors and business owners feel comfortable participating in neighborhood life.
The report found similar approaches in Chicago and Washington, D.C. In Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood, community stakeholders have invested in youth recreation, gathering spaces and infrastructure while working alongside broader violence-prevention initiatives.
In Anacostia, local leaders have focused on public spaces, arts and culture, economic development and opportunities for small businesses as part of efforts to improve both actual and perceived safety.
Across all three communities, researchers found that residents often defined safety more broadly than the absence of crime. Participants emphasized trusted relationships, employment opportunities, places where young people and families can gather and opportunities for economic mobility as important components of a safe neighborhood.
The report also identifies several obstacles facing community-centered public safety programs. Among the most significant are funding and capacity limitations affecting grassroots organizations.
Researchers found that many community-based organizations have strong relationships with residents and direct knowledge of neighborhood conditions but may struggle to obtain and maintain government funding. Some organizations begin successful violence prevention programs only to reduce or discontinue them when funding disappears.
The report also warns against relying on a single institution to address every factor contributing to violence. Housing agencies, economic development organizations, health care providers, schools, community groups and the criminal justice system often operate independently despite addressing interconnected problems.
Brookings recommends that local governments improve collaboration among those sectors while giving residents and community organizations greater influence over public safety strategies.
The report further calls on cities to use neighborhood-level data to understand where violence occurs rather than applying the same strategy across an entire city. Researchers argue that combining crime data with the experiences of residents can help officials better determine which neighborhoods require resources and what interventions are most appropriate.
Researchers ultimately concluded that community safety requires sustained investment rather than temporary programs. They recommend protecting existing grassroots organizations, expanding collaboration across government and community sectors, rebuilding trust with residents and creating permanent public infrastructure dedicated to violence prevention.
For Oakland and the other cities examined, the findings suggest that public safety begins well before an individual enters the criminal justice system. Investments in neighborhoods, economic opportunities, public spaces and trusted community organizations may play an important role in preventing violence before police, prosecutors or courts become involved.
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