Public Safety
Everyone has the right to feel safe and secure in their community. My administration has taken a holistic, comprehensive, and public health centered approach to reducing violence. We are strengthening our city by innovating with mental health services, investing in our youth, and using data to focus law enforcement resources effectively.
Our community asked us to...
We delivered...
Take a patient-centered approach to mental health emergencies and provide an alternative to law enforcement response
In 2021, we launched the Community Alternative Response Emergency Services (CARES) program in my executive budget. Madison CARES sends teams of paramedics and crisis workers to respond to non-violent mental and behavioral health calls to 911. Since its inception, CARES teams have gone from responding to around 30 calls per month to over 180. The program has been so successful that we’ve expanded the hours and geographic coverage, added a second team and a second location, and plan two further expansions in 2023.
Add public safety personnel to meet the needs of our growing city
Madison’s police chief is a nationally recognized leader in crime reduction and community-police relations. In the last two budgets, the City backed his data-driven, strategic approach to crime reduction by adding 14 new police officers and 3 civilian positions, including a high level criminologist to serve as MPD's Reform and Innovation Director. This position will help MPD target its resources where they are needed most.
Reduce EMS response times, especially on the south east side of the city
In the Fire Department, we added 20 firefighters and paramedics and the long-sought 9th ambulance that is running out of Station 14 and creating efficiencies across the system. Madison CARES is also being run out of our MFD along with other patient-centered community paramedic programs that help support a healthier Madison.
Take a public health approach to violence prevention
We expanded the Violence Prevention Unit in the Public Health Department with a focus on gun violence. They created a multi-faceted Roadmap to Reducing Violence to guide our collective efforts. In 2022, the VPU invested over a million dollars in programs that intervene in the cycle of violence, foster community engagement, build strong neighborhoods, and promote healing for those impacted by violence.
Support our young people.
This past summer, the City funded over 20 organizations to run almost 30 programs that provide mentoring, educational and leadership opportunities, including skills in conflict interruption and mediation, and over 1000 paid learning opportunities for youth to work, earn and learn.
We also launched Parks Alive! In over 30 city parks. The goal was to energize our parks with positive community supported programming, this project was so successful we hired staff to run and expand it to many more locations in the city.
Prevent fatalities and serious injuries from traffic crashes.
In 2021, we launched our Vision Zero initiative in my executive budget. This program focuses the efforts of multiple departments to reduce serious car crashes and fatalities, which claim more lives in the City than violent crime. The program includes speed limit reductions and over 50 infrastructure projects across the city – like flashing crosswalks – to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. MPD also will also provide extra traffic enforcement along key streets, including Mineral Point Rd. and E. Washington Ave.
In the last two years, we have made very good progress in reducing fatalities and serious injuries as we continue education and enforcement efforts.
Reduce gun violence in our community
MPD is using a strategic approach to keep our city safe. Their priorities were: Shots Fired, Stolen Autos and Hazardous Driving. The goal was to reduce each crime category by 15%. Based on best practices and informed by data, MPD used multiple strategies to identify and address hotspots, mitigate trends and arrest high-rate offenders. Data from the summer shows that they dropped shots-fired incidents 21% exceeding their goal in this critical area.
There's more work to do!
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Continue to focus on reducing gun violence, both with targeted law enforcement efforts and longer term public health interventions
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Continue to grow CARES, with two expansions planned in 2023, and conversations underway about further expansion opportunities.
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Continue to seek funding for Vision Zero projects and enforcement
To accomplish these projects and more, we need to re-elect Mayor Satya and build a better Madison - together.