Councilors push for a citywide community safety plan and dedicate staff under MHRC

Council members discussed a proposal to develop a comprehensive community safety plan and to fund three dedicated staff positions to implement and monitor it, with several councilors asking that the Metro Human Relations Commission lead the effort.

Supporters said the initiative would combine prevention-focused "community safety" work with existing public‑safety efforts and proposed a roughly $503,305 request on the wish list to fund planning and three positions. Advocates framed the work as gathering community input, auditing current programs, and recommending coordinated investments across departments.

Some council members said the mayor's administration has signaled interest or already has a plan in development, sparking debate about where responsibility should sit. Council member Evans and others urged that an already‑hired prevention director in the mayor's office or the new Office of Youth Safety be engaged so efforts are coordinated; other councilors preferred MHRC because of its prior work on community engagement around hiring and oversight of the police chief.

Vice chair Jones and members of the immigrant and minority caucuses said the request included operational staffing (outreach, implementation and monitoring) rather than only a study. Committee members agreed the item merits follow-up to determine existing administration plans and potential duplication before any final allocation.

There was no formal vote on the request; staff and council members said they would confirm whether mayoral funding or existing departmental plans could cover part or all of the work before making an appropriation decision.