A local nonprofit that usually operates in Pima County recently received roughly $90,000 from Maricopa County’s Board of Supervisors.
Enrique Olivares-Pelayo with Just Communities Arizona said they’re looking forward to using the investment to bring their Community Safety Incubator program to District 5.
“Everyone knows the person who’s, like, without them there really wouldn't be that many get-togethers, right?” he said. “And so this is just like – well, let's scale that out towards something that has a positive impact on people's sense of safety.”
Olivares-Pelayo said the program is community-led, and its goal is to create a model that can be replicated to create self-started Community Safety Incubators across the state, adding that people inherently know what a safe community feels like.
“What makes us feel safe is kids playing,” said Olivares-Pelayo, “neighbors waving hello to each other, feeling like you can go outside and know who you are engaging with. A sense of community is what makes us feel safe.”
As the first to implement the program in the state, Olivares-Pelayo explained that the group’s role is more as a catalyst for listening to what the community wants and needs to feel safe.
“They reach out to me,” he said, “and they tell me, ‘Hey, here’s our idea for our community safety incubator. Here’s our idea for how many trees we need, how many Rubbermaid containers we need so unhoused neighbors can keep their stuff on our property without it being a bunch of drama.’”
Olivares-Pelayo said the program will start with outreach early next year.
