Public safety has traditionally been thought of as the work of police, fire, and offices of emergency management (OEMs), each with critical but siloed responsibilities. But increasingly, these departments are expected to collaborate and share data with health and social services, code enforcement, public works, housing, and burgeoning civilian-led public safety departments.

Atlanta Police Assistant Chief Carven Tyus told us that law enforcement leaders can’t arrest their way out of challenges facing cities today. He continued: “We know that the best crime reduction tools the city has are jobs, education, and housing. A collaborative approach to policing looks like seeking ways to divert an individual to services before resorting to incarceration. It looks like gathering input and feedback from residents through our city and community partners. And it looks like sharing information across the city ecosystem to make sure we’re doing everything we can to assure a safe and thriving city.”

Read the whole blog with the National League of Cities here.