Safety: More Officers, Smarter Policing, Real Partnerships
Reno families deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods, and our businesses deserve protection from rising theft. Yet police staffing in our region has fallen to 30-year lows. That is unacceptable. As mayor, I will immediately move to fill the budgetary frozen positions that have left our streets understaffed and our officers overworked. Public safety is not a line item to be negotiated. It is a promise to every resident.
The Downtown Reno Partnership (DRP) is a nonprofit business improvement district created in 2018 with the goal of making "downtown Reno a safer, cleaner, vibrant district for residents and visitors." The DRP is funded through assessed taxes on downtown businesses with a large portion designated for "supplemental police services from City of Reno Police, including walking and bike patrols. Additional funding was to come from the General Fund. In recent years police presence has greatly diminished or become nonexistent. As mayor, I will work with the DRP and downtown businesses to ensure these businesses receive the services that they were promised and already funding.
Regionalize Real Time Crime Centers that augment police. These allow non-commissioned staff to coordinate technology that already exists and real-time communications with those in the field, saving both time and money.
Improving communication between retail stores is critical to theft reduction. Some local retailers have begun this, but community-driven law enforcement should assist with training and awareness. We all pay the bill for losses with increased prices for products.