The purpose of DON’s Community Safety portfolio is to support the City of Seattle’s commitment to being a safe, vibrant, and interconnected city that ensures all residents can thrive and live safely. DON holds several contracts and programs that support community safety in our neighborhoods.
Community Safety Priorities
- Continue to strengthen interdepartmental coordination
- Implement community capacity and safety model in other neighborhoods
- Expand regional partnerships and investments to move in alignment
- Increase trust between communities and government, and
- Develop and track metrics around safety and well-being
The work of the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods (DON) has always intersected with community safety, but our first formal community safety work began in the Chinatown International District, known as the beloved CID. Following the recommendations of the community-led CID Public Safety Task Force report released in 2016, City Councilmembers added funding to address public safety issues. The first CID Public Safety Coordinator started in 2019 and has become a model that led to the addition of a Public Safety Coordinator in South Park in 2020, Ballard in 2024, and Capitol Hill in 2025.
Each public safety coordinator position works to improve communication and coordination between government and the community. The goal is to connect residents, businesses, and City departments to address crime and the perception of safety in their neighborhoods. Each public safety coordinator is employed by a community-based organization, with funds contracted through DON:
- Chinatown/International District Business Improvement Area (CIDBIA)
- Seattle Neighborhood Group (SNG) in South Park
- Ballard Alliance
- Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) in Capitol Hill
A Beautiful Safe Place For Youth (ABSPY) is a community-led, placed-based youth crime prevention and intervention initiative. Instead of more policing, neighbors, young people, and local organizations carry out an innovative vision – one centered on prevention, opportunity, and youth leadership. Founded in 2012, this grassroots coalition and effort is making Rainier Beach safety and stronger lifting up young people and investing in community power.
DON was chosen by community partners to work on Phố Đẹp (Beautiful Neighborhood), a community-led effort in partnership with Friends of Little Saigon and the Seattle Police Department. Partially funded by the Seattle Police Foundation, Seattle Police Department, and CARE (Community Assisted Response & Engagement), Phố Đẹp is a placed-based problem-solving approach, which builds local partnerships, trust, and community resources to implement place-based solutions.