Please read this press release from the City of Olympia;
The City of Olympia’s Community Work Group on Reimagining Public Safety wants to hear
from YOU!
The City has launched a community-led process to ensure our public safety system works for
everyone. This process is being led by a Community Work Group who is hosting a series of
Listening-and-Learning Sessions during April and May.
We invite you as neighborhood representatives and members of your community to join us on
the evening of April 20, 6:00-8:00 PM for a virtual conversation on:
- What is working well with the City’s public safety system? What is not working well with the City’s public safety system?
- What the City can do today to make a difference with our public safety system?
- How will you know we are making progress with improving our public safety system, and what will that look and feel like to you?
The City of Olympia is dedicated to deeper exploration of racism, and specifically anti-Black
racism. Marginalized communities such as people with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ community and
specifically people who are transgender or non-binary, immigrants, people in poverty, and
many others also have important concerns.
Together, we’re committed to a better understanding of these to ensure that everyone in our
community feels that the public safety system works for them. To do that, we need to hear
from neighborhood residents. The listening-and-learning sessions are brave spaces for honest
sharing and conversation about what’s important to you, your experiences, and your ideas for
reimagining public safety for our community.
Together, we’re committed to ensuring that everyone in our community feels that the public
safety system works for them. To do that, we need to hear from you. The listening-and-learning
sessions are brave spaces for honest sharing and conversation about what’s important to you,
your experiences, and your ideas for reimagining public safety for our community.
Background
While recognizing that many far-reaching societal factors (education, housing access, racism,
etc.) can influence public safety, this process takes a closer look at specifically the City’s public
safety system, which includes areas like policing, crisis response, corrections, prosecution,
defense, courts, and medical and fire response.
This effort is being led by a Community Work Group made up of nine community members who
represent a cross-section of Olympia’s demographics, expertise, and experiences. The
members are dedicated to listening carefully to community members, with an emphasis on
voices of people that have often been excluded from decision-making. Using what they learn, they will work together to prepare recommendations for the Olympia City Council that
represent the needs of our community.
The work group’s intention is to provide a facilitated opportunity for safe, intimate discussion.
However, please share this invitation with specific members of your community who you feel
would be an asset to this important conversation.
To learn more about this process, including how to join the listening-and-learning session, and
view helpful pre-discussion materials, visit engage.olympiawa.gov/publicsafety.
To stay informed on this process, sign up to receive Community Safety, Health & Livability e-
mail notices at www.olympiawa.gov/news.
