There are some politicians who say that the solution to public safety problems is simple: hire more cops, make more arrests, put more people in jail. While that approach certainly has its supporters, Cincinnati City Council candidate Tamaya Dennard is not among them.
Dennard says that education, job opportunities and a concentration of poverty are also factors contributing to crime. She says the city has to do more than put handcuffs on people and then put them behind bars.
She wrote recently in the Cincinnati Enquirer that our city needs to revitalize recreational and educational programs that engage youth. “Providing meaningful programs for people at an early age is a huge crime deterrent,” she notes.
She said that when people don’t have opportunities to get quality jobs, it “creates a domino effect that includes access to health care and education.” For people who have gaps in their job histories or who have a criminal background, that lack of opportunity leaves them with few options.
One change she wants to see in the city: creation of an effective, affordable transportation system that will connect people to potential jobs. “Having a bus system capable of making these connections is vital,” she wrote.
When people live in an impoverished area with no transportation to job and education resources, they are isolated from opportunity, Dennard adds.
While we don’t endorse candidates in this space, few people would argue that no changes are needed in public safety policies.
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