By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Tucson’s City Council on Wednesday formally adopted its Safe City Action Plan, a strategy months in the making aimed at addressing ongoing concerns about homelessness, drug use, and crime.
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The plan stems from the Safe City Initiative launched last October and is designed to organize existing efforts into one coordinated approach to public safety.
Six priorities, one framework
The plan addresses six key priorities: housing, behavioral health, violence prevention, collaboration, accountability, and community engagement.
Efforts under those priorities can range from building more affordable housing to increasing the number of officers stationed in higher-crime areas.
Some residents said the concerns driving the plan have been building for years.
“One of our major issues is homelessness, and that is due to a lot of issues like housing security, job insecurity, mental health issues, substance abuse,” said Mia Worthington, a Tucson resident.
Roddric Perkins, another Tucson resident, said conditions have worsened over time.
“I’m 37, and just seeing the things that I see now, it’s a lot different from the things I saw growing up, so it’s a lot worse,” he said.
Dashboard to track progress
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said the plan will be measured through a public-facing dashboard tracking several performance indicators, including bus stop safety incidents and clean-up events.
Ward 2 Council Member Paul Cunningham said the dashboard will help residents make sense of the city’s various programs.
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“When you think about all these things we have, this mish-mash, you can run through all these buzzwords and at about buzzword 47 you’re frustrated and confused. To have a tool like the dashboard you set up helps people organize their thoughts,” Cunningham said.
Street takeovers, dissenting vote
The plan also expands on efforts to reduce illegal street racing and suggests the Arizona Legislature make street takeovers a felony.
Council Member Miranda Schubert did not support adoption of the plan, citing concerns about a lack of resources and community input.
The city describes the plan as a “living” document that will continue to evolve to address needs as they arise.
Perkins said he remains cautiously optimistic.
“I try to be humble to the fact that it’s going to take some time in order for us to get to where we need to be or back to where we were,” he said. “I believe that if everyone can do their part, it can help.”
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