New Research: Community Perceptions of Newark Report

Our community partners play such an important role in helping us shape the focus of Newark Community Solutions. Last summer, seventeen surveyors from Newark and researchers from the Center for Court Innovation fanned out across the city and asked Newark residents what they felt about public safety, the courts, the police and other issues.  The surveys were conducted on city streets, on college campuses and in public and private housing complexes. Last week the Center for Court Innovation released the report “Community Perceptions ofNewark”.

So, what did Newarkers say?

• Though 70 percent of respondents had not heard of Newark Community Solutions prior to the survey, 75 percent of all respondents viewed alternative sentencing for low-level offenses as positive, in principle.
• Over 47 percent of respondents reported that police would treat them individually with respect, but only 25 percent agreed or strongly agreed that the police treat “everyone” fairly.
•  Over three-quarters of Newark residents reported feeling safe in their homes, but less than half reported feeling safe in public spaces, including on the street and in local parks.
• Nearly a third (31 percent) of respondents cited “the people of Newark” as the greatest strength of the city.

Download and read the entire report here.