Dublin is known for having a global community made up of native Dubliners and countless others who have moved to the area from other cities, states and countries alike. With such a richly diverse population, is it possible to ensure everyone feels safe and gets the support they need?
Photo courtesy of City of Dublin
Justin Paez
The Dublin Police Department and Chief Justin Páez have made it their personal goal to fulfill those needs, and have worked hard to make it a reality. With the help of advisory committees, feedback from the community, and the support of not only the city but several private organizations, the department started the Safe Space Dublin program.
A year into the program, Páez says it has already grown and changed so much to better suit the needs of the community, and the department is excited to see the next steps the program will take.
Inspired by Community Voices
The program came out of discussions Páez had with the Community Inclusion Advisory Committee and the Chief’s Advisory Committee. Members of those groups shared stories from others or times when they personally did not feel safe.
“We heard very honest and sometimes raw and heartbreaking realities of what individual members were experiencing,” Páez says. “In particular through the (COVID-19) pandemic, we had community members who … were confident in their protection and safety in Dublin, but they felt like they couldn’t travel to other areas and feel that same level of safety and security. And there certainly were occasions where they felt like there were things that they saw in Dublin as well, that were less than what we would desire in support and welcomeness.”
After taking time to listen, Páez says the department wanted to take action and develop a program to change things.
He got to work researching what other communities were doing and found a program in Seattle called Safe Place. This program was created specifically for members of the LGBTQIA+ community who weren’t as comfortable with police but needed a way to report hate crimes and discrimination.
After completing his research, Páez went back to the committees where they discussed and developed their own foundation that would be at the forefront of the program.
“Safety, security and support were those three pillars we wanted to make sure we delivered on as part of the program and (that we) understood ourselves before we launched into including partners,” Páez says. “So then the next step was building the footprint you see on the website now and then identifying the resources that are available as Safe Space connections.”
These resources include a variety of immediate response organizations, including the National Human Trafficking Hotline, the Trevor Project and ASHA Ray of Hope, that are available nearly 24/7 as well as several next-day resources.
What is a safe space?
Because a safe space means something different to every person, it can be tough to define. However, it is generally described as an environment free of criticism, harassment, discrimination or any other form of emotional or physical harm and is welcoming to all no matter their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, physical or mental ability, etc. Many have worked to create more spaces like these, especially for diverse and historically marginalized communities.
United support
When the program was finally set and ready to be rolled out, the next decision was to figure out where these safe spaces would be.
Photo courtesy of City of Dublin
Director Guion and Officer Brown
“Fundamentally the police department has to be a safe space for everyone to go. And (I have to) give credit to Washington Township. They leaned in right away and said all fire stations and the administration building were all going to be locations,” Páez says. “I give credit to the city manager and City Council for expanding it beyond even our lens at the time (saying), ‘We’re going to make all city building locations safe spaces.’”
Other early adopters included the Dublin Arts Council, Crawford Hoying in Bridge Park and mental health care provider Syntero.
CEO and Executive Director of Syntero Julie Rinaldi says joining the effort was a no-brainer, as they had been partnering with the city and police department for years.
“I think (Páez) approached me early on and I was like, ‘Oh, yeah. We want to be one of your first participants, this is really important,’” Rinaldi says. “We have a lot of different targeted programs for the LGBTQ+ community and for different populations that might be targets of attacks, so we want to make sure that we are seen as a place of refuge for people.”
Although many of the program’s parts, such as training staff to help people in crisis, were things the Syntero team already had in place, Rinaldi says they have been able to improve their offerings to better serve the Dublin community.
For Rinaldi though, the bigger impact is seeing that they aren’t the only ones helping people in crisis.
“Just knowing that there (are) other organizations out there that are willing to step up is nice and I think is going to send a really powerful message,” she says. “I was pleased to hear some of the area businesses have stepped in and joined this effort. That’s, to me, heartwarming, and I think it’ll just grow from here.”
Looking to the future
An anniversary breakfast was held at the Dublin Community Recreation Center in December to celebrate the program’s accomplishments during the first year and create a space for participants to reflect and connect with the police department to offer feedback.
“Some of it is just making sure we’re checking in with those businesses annually to, for all intents and purposes, be an audit of the program,” Páez says. “In that, we have the right contact information as employees change over, we are updating our training, we are delivering any specific information or awareness that businesses should be at least informed of so that they know how to connect people to the right resources.”
As the program heads into its second year, Páez is excited to see it expand as more organizations are joining. Several OhioHealth campuses became certified safe spaces before the end of 2023, and Páez says discussions are already underway to include several faith-based safe spaces as well.
To see so many individuals and organizations not only support the ideals of the program but to take action, get trained and truly carry the message out to others, is something that really hits home for Páez.
“I’m just so grateful to have so much support for the program internally and then externally from the community,” he says. “For so many to come on board and say we want to be partners, because that to me is what gives me confidence that this program will just continue to be a valuable resource for community members.”
Looking to join?
If you or your organization or business would like to get involved, Páez says there are a few things you can do.
- Reach out to the police department to learn more
- Check out the website www.safespacedublin.org to see an informational video and list of resources
- Sign yourself and your team up for training to be prepared for any situation
- Gather supplies and information from the police department to ensure you can be ready to help someone in need
Rachel Karas is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at rkaras@cityscenemediagroup.com.
