CJAC proposes "crime and grime" community walks to pair blight removal with visible policing

Kevin Harris, a member of the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee, told the City Commission that the committee wants to pilot "crime and grime" community walks that pair a visible law-enforcement presence with coordinated city services to remove blight and engage residents. "Public safety is not just law enforcement's responsibility," Harris said, arguing that walks which mobilize housing, code enforcement, public works and police can both reduce blight and increase neighborhood intelligence-sharing.

Harris described the model as a "whole of government approach" and cited studies he said show links between blight and violent crime, including a Saginaw Valley State University report and LSU research in Baton Rouge. He said the walks aim to make city leaders visible, encourage residents to report concerns and create opportunities for on-the-spot cleanups and code enforcement.

Commissioners responded with examples of existing neighborhood efforts and pilots. Commissioner Fox described a local "Adopt-a-Block" project on Sixth Street that combined a CPTED assessment, code enforcement and police follow-up on illegal dumping and arrests; she urged scaling successful pilots citywide. Commissioner Ward and others said Keep West Palm Beach Beautiful and other city teams already coordinate some cleanups and asked for a police representative to clarify what the department is currently doing.

The police representative indicated departmental support for expanding coordinated walks. The mayor asked staff (Miss Johnson) to convene CJAC, the police chief and department leads to compare notes and produce a recommended approach. The commission did not vote on a policy or pilot during this meeting; staff will report back with coordination options and any schedule for joint walks.

What happens next: Staff were asked to schedule a meeting with the police chief, CJAC representatives and relevant department leads to determine whether to expand existing walks or launch a new pilot. No formal motion or funding action was taken at the meeting.