What is Safe Blocks?
The Safe Blocks Program helps all Portlanders feel safe and connected through trainings and education, place-based security assessments, neighborhood improvement projects, and community-building activities.
Safe Blocks works directly with the community to increase feelings of safety and reduce crime rates in areas suffering from historical disinvestment, high rates of social vulnerability, and high rates of gun violence. Examples of Safe Blocks projects include increasing green space, improving lighting, and making traffic control enhancements to increase safety and decrease opportunities for crime.
What is Safe Blocks working on?
Safe Blocks Place-Based Violence Intervention Project (Byrne Grant)
In March 2024, Safe Blocks received a $2 million Federal Byrne Grant to fund place-based community violence intervention programming over four years in Portland's Hazelwood, Eliot, and Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhoods. Residents in these neighborhoods along with Cully, Portsmouth, and Lents are encouraged to take a community safety survey to help inform the grant’s projects. Safe Blocks is also in the final stages of recruiting and hiring a project manager to oversee the grant.
Neighborhood work
Hazelwood
- The team is preparing for the Party On, Portland! (POP!) event on August 10th from 1-7 p.m. at the TriMet Park & Ride at 122nd and Burnside.
- Regular discussions are happening with the neighborhood association and other community groups and local stakeholders to learn about hot spots and safety concerns, share information, and consider potential neighborhood improvement projects.
- Coordination is also underway with the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s 122nd Avenue Corridor Improvements team for traffic and safety improvements.
Cully
- Safe Blocks is working closely with Reimagining Justice in Cully – a pilot project in partnership between Multnomah County and the Native American Youth and Family Center.
- The team is providing support to a local group on a community street mural project in the Cully 5 Corners area.
- Discussions are happening with Metro and the Portland Bureau of Transportation on corridor improvement efforts (including traffic calming, pedestrian safety, and lighting).
- Engagement is occurring with hard-to-reach residents in mobile home parks.
- Safe Blocks is supporting the Sunshine Division at three different sites with a mobile pantry.
- The team is tabling at the Cully Farmers Market.
Eliot
- An event is happening at Dawson Park on August 6th from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Safe Blocks is coordinating with the Portland Police Bureau, Office of Violence Prevention and others to assess, mitigate, and deter risk in the area.
- The installation of bollards is being finalized with Portland Parks & Recreation.
- The team is coordinating with the Portland Bureau of Transportation on traffic and safety improvements.
- A food truck meetup is being planned in coordination with the Portland Bureau of Transportation to establish a regular food cart presence to draw positive activity to the area.
Other neighborhoods
- 82nd/Milton
- Safe Blocks is still in regular contact with stakeholders in the neighborhood.
- A meeting was convened and facilitated on July 11th with concerned residents.
Events
- August 1-16 - Party On, Portland! The list of events is available on the POP! website.
- August 6 – Dawson Park.
- August 10 – Hazelwood.
Rose City Self-Defense (RCSD)
Rose City Self-Defense is an empowerment-based self-defense program that offers community-based classes and workshops for youth and adults. All RCSD programming is free because classes and workshops are taught by volunteer self-defense instructors. Since its start, RCSD has provided self-defense training to more than 45,000 students, and workshops to over 120,000 participants.
In June, RCSD served more than 200 participants at 16 workshops, one community-based class and one youth summer camp. Trainings included personal safety, safety and self-defense, youth curriculum, community-based curriculum, and de-escalation.
RCSD also hired interns for the Lents Youth Initiative through the SummerWorks program. The interns will spend 100 hours learning about urban planning, civic engagement, historical data around Portland – including its racist history of redlining – and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED).
Questions?
For more information, visit Safe Blocks at https://www.portland.gov/safe-blocks, email us at safeblocksprogram@portlandoregon.gov, or call 503-823-4064.