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Downtown Safety and Cleanliness
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IN THIS UPDATE
- The Latest
- Stay Connected
- Take Action
- Resources
- Contact Information
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You are receiving this email because you signed up to receive updates on the City's Downtown Safety Initiative. Newsletters will continue to be sent monthly with updates on the City's safety and cleanliness efforts. You can unsubscribe at any time.
The City of Asheville is committed to providing quality core services that support a vibrant and welcoming downtown for residents, businesses and visitors. In the Spring of 2023, the City launched a pilot program to develop a sustainable approach to addressing safety and cleanliness issues downtown. The pilot transitioned to an ongoing effort on July 1, 2023 and includes a new community responder program, enhanced public space management and coordinated clean-up efforts. View more information about the pilot program and continued/on-going services here.
The City is also launching new communications tools to keep the public engaged and involved. An updated page on PublicInput.com includes includes information about City services that support cleanliness and safety conditions downtown, and invites people to sign-up for monthly updates.
Your input and involvement is critical to a safer, cleaner and more enjoyable downtown. We look forward to continuing to keep you informed and engaged.
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The Latest
The City Manager's Office shared a report on public safety updates with the City Council at their October 10, 2023 Council meeting. Click here or the graphic below to view the report, or watch the presentation by clicking here.
Our ongoing efforts to continue and enhance services that support a safe, clean and welcoming downtown include the following:
Public Safety and Community Support
- APD is continuing to prioritize downtown coverage. The department is regularly supplementing downtown patrols and prioritizing coverage based on crime data.
- APD continues to develop and deploy strategies to increase coverage and presence downtown, as well as recruit new officers.
- The Parks and Recreation Department provides 7-day/week security coverage, with downtown parks (particularly Pritchard Park) being the top focus.
- The City's Community Responder program is continuing long-term as an additional public safety presence and community resource. Teams of 2-3 firefighters are engaging proactively with people visibly in crisis or experiencing homelessness 7 days/week from 9am to 9pm. More information is viewable on this dashboard.
- The City contracts directly with Homeward Bound for street outreach. The outreach team engages with individuals experiencing homelessness and stands available to assist businesses or other community members to troubleshoot or mediate concerns.
- The Transportation Department is currently in the vendor selection process for security coverage in City parking garages and hopes to have these services in place prior to the end of 2023.
- The City continues to improve systems of reporting and tracking repair needs for downtown street lighting. More information is viewable on this dashboard.
- The City is also increasing proactive enforcement of nuisance issues within downtown through the Development Services Department’s Compliance Division. This team is positioned to address issues including noise, construction-related closures/concerns, illegal vending, and other code violations.
Cleanliness
- The City prioritizes downtown cleanliness to promote an attractive and safe urban environment. City crews provide 7-day/week trash and recycling collection. There are 9 full-time Public Works employees dedicated to downtown cleanliness. Additional contracted services are utilized for litter pick-up, vegetation control, biohazard cleaning and improved response to litter hot spots on an as-needed basis.
- In an effort to further support public health and cleanliness conditions, the City is pursuing the installation of a downtown restroom facility at College Street near Rankin Avenue that will be accessible 24/7. Installation is expected in Spring 2024. More information is available here.
Addressing Homelessness
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Stay Connected
October and November, 2023: Community Education Series on Homelessness
The Homeless Strategy Division of the City of Asheville Community and Economic Development Department invites members of the public to join them for an informative learning series focused on homelessness in our community. View more information here and register on public input here.
- Session 1 (Nov 2): Understanding Homelessness - causes and local landscape
- Session 2 (Oct 17 and Nov 9): Understanding Solutions to Homelessness - community response, present and future
- Session 3 (Oct 24 and Nov 16): Personal Response to Homelessness - how to partner with local agencies and take action
All October sessions will be held at the Pack Memorial Library from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
All November sessions will be held at the North Asheville Library from 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
October 24, 2023: Community Responder Program Updates and Next Steps
October 27, 2023: Downtown Public Safety Updates
November 16, 2023: City/County Joint Work Session on Homelessness
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Take Action
Report Crime
Report Issues of Concern
Schedule a Security Survey with APD
Enhance Security Camera Systems
Organize a Community Clean-Up
Support Efforts to Address Homelessness
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Resources
Please visit the pages below to learn more and get involved.
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Contact Information
Find more information on the safety and cleanliness project page.
Email us at downtownsafety@publicinput.com.
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