Innovative regional approaches offer promise on local public safety problems

For those of us working in public service during this period of increasing polarization and pessimism, building policies and programs can sometimes seem like an impossible task.
When asked to cite the problems most affecting their quality of life, two persistent social ills invariably rise to the top of people’s lists: a surge in gang activity — and its attendant rise in crime — and the growing numbers of homeless men, women and children in our communities.
The first problem ha