“Displaying it at a business shows that place is a business where someone can go to for help and seek shelter. They can be applied outside the front entrance of the establishment, school or organization and also inside the building. The decals can be placed in local businesses, public and private schools, and community organizations. Menhart added that Safe Place stickers are universal and are easily recognizable symbols. We are trying to take a step forward in building and reinforcing the trust between minority communities and police,” he said. “What we are aiming to do with this program is bridge the gap. Menhart said if “these crimes” are not being reported to police, they “cannot investigate and cannot protect people from becoming future victims of these criminals.” Seattle Police Officer Jim Ritter established the idea for the Safe Place initiative after he was appointed the Seattle Police Department’s full-time LGBTQ liaison.Īs the liaison, Ritter found a significant disparity between actual crime and crime that was being reported. and the program was born from a distrust between minority communities such as the LGBTQ community, people of foreign nationalities and certain religious groups and the police, according to Menhart. The Safe Place Program was created in Seattle, Wash. “Until you have found yourself as part of a group where you did not know who to go to for help or who you can trust, you may not understand the significance of a program like this,” Menhart said. He stressed that the program is necessary. It is what we hope anyone would do from one human being to another,” Menhart said. Part Two: An owner and staff of a business, who have agreed to be a part of the program, will call 911 if the victim of a bias crime or incident comes into their location.Īnd Part Three: Business owner and staff agree to let the victim shelter at that specific location until the police arrive. “It is highly visible and designates the business as a safe place location in town.” The first is this sticker ,” Monroe Police Detective Steven Menhart said. “The Safe Place Program has three basic components.

Additionally, the program’s creation in Monroe reinforces trust between minority communities and the police department.

Monroe township police