Salinas students present safety audits, call for lighting, sidewalk fixes and murals

Julia Murrato of the county public health department presented the Strive youth violence-prevention program and introduced student CPTED teams who completed photovoice projects mapping safety challenges in Salinas.

Student speakers from Rancho San Juan High School and Everett Alvarez High School described specific hotspots and recommended improvements. Ishana highlighted the Kern Street and Highway 101 corridor, noting motel density, poor lighting and anonymity that can enable illicit activity. Amanda described the Oak Park Market area, citing uneven sidewalks and ADA barriers that make walking unsafe for students and recommending structural repairs and murals to foster natural surveillance. Sierra described Acosta Plaza, citing high crime, limited lighting, blocked sight lines from overgrown vegetation and the need for more supervision and lighting.

Murrato said the Strive program is funded by a multi-year CDC grant (recently extended) and that the city previously allocated ARPA funding to school-campus built-environment projects (each partner school had a $125,000 budget for CPTED projects). Council members praised the student work and discussed possible next steps including sharing past presentations, summarizing findings for staff, and pursuing funding like Safe Routes to School.

Next steps: staff encouraged reviewing the photovoice slides and maps that were shared with council; council members asked staff to follow up about prioritizing projects and potential funding sources.