Tucson begins public meetings on safe city plan | Local News

TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) – Tucson has rolled out a Safe City Initiative Action Plan months after launching its Safe City Initiative to address homelessness, behavioral health needs and substance use.

City staff held its first of four upcoming meetings on the draft plan Monday night. The meeting brought out business owner Veronica Hanley and dozens of other community members.

“I would love to actually talk to people or hear what they have to say because what people write down is different than what they’ll say verbally to the public,” Hanley told News 4 Tucson.

Attendees heard from city staff and talked to them face to face on all things safety in town. The plan lays out a number of actions, such as providing the public with data on gun crime.

“It is located in micro locations and in clicks of people, and when we look at the victims of gun crime it is men and black and brown men at that,” Dr. Aeric Koerner, analysis administrator for the Tucson Police Department, told the crowd.

The draft action plan also highlights the expansion of the Pima County Transition Center for people working their way out of the criminal justice system. The center currently operates Monday through Friday, but beginning this weekend the facility will be open Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. through 4:30 p.m.

“We’re doing great work Monday through Friday, but we know that there are a significant number of individuals that transition out of custody or detainment on the weekends,” Doyle Morrison, community engagement manager for the Department of Justice Services, said.

Hanley came to the meeting focused on transit and gun violence but also to hear the city’s concrete plans.

“I feel like the city is better at verbalizing their plans rather than waiting and putting it in a draft and then telling people later,” Hanley said.

Hanley left the meeting pleasantly surprised with the engagement from city staff over the draft plan. The next meeting is this Wednesday at the Donna Liggins Center from 5 to 8 p.m.

Assistant City Manager Liz Morales told News 4 Tucson that feedback from this week’s meetings and that of the Safe City Task Force will go toward a final plan expected to come before Tucson City Council late this summer.