Washington, D.C. — Today, the Center for American Progress is pleased to welcome Mayor Levar M. Stoney (D) of Richmond, Virginia, and Mayor Melvin Carter (D) of St. Paul, Minnesota, to the Mayors for Smart on Crime initiative. Mayor Stoney and Mayor Carter are the latest local leaders to sign on to the initiative, which now represents 14 cities nationwide that are pursuing fair, just, and effective approaches to public safety.
After signing on to the initiative, Richmond Mayor Stoney released the following statement:
We are proud to be 1 of the 14 cities participating in the Smart on Crime initiative. As a public servant and as a citizen, I believe that becoming a more just and equitable society means providing access and opportunity. It’s not about keeping people down; it’s about lifting people up.
St. Paul Mayor Carter made the following statement:
As local leaders, we are rewiring how we think of public safety. For a generation, we’ve thought of public safety as more police officers, bigger jails, and more prosecutors. In St. Paul, our goal is to think about public safety as a function of safe spaces, trusting relationships, and a promising community for people returning from incarceration.
Ed Chung, the vice president for Criminal Justice Reform at the Center for American Progress, said:
CAP is honored to announce this partnership with Mayor Stoney and Mayor Carter. In Richmond and St. Paul, respectively, these mayors have made smart public safety and criminal justice reforms a top priority. We commend their leadership toward building safer, fairer, and more inclusive communities, and we look forward to supporting their efforts and those of the 12 other Mayors for Smart on Crime in the future.
In addition to Mayor Stoney and Mayor Carter, other city leaders who are part of this initiative include: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome (D); Birmingham, Alabama, Mayor Randall Woodfin (D); Boston Mayor Marty Walsh (D); Dayton, Ohio, Mayor Nan Whaley (D); Denver Mayor Michael Hancock (D); Gary, Indiana, Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson (D); Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D); New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D); Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney (D); Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan (D); Stockton, California Mayor Michael Tubbs (D); and Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser (D). To learn more about Mayors for Smart on Crime, visit www.smartoncrime.us.
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, please contact Sally Tucker at [email protected] or 202.481.8103.