Look at the page on interaction with the RPD.
Note that the "No Interaction" response is 67% at the highest (67.1% had had no interaction with PACTAC; thus 32.9% had the highest interaction rate) and 85% at the lowest ("Attended a Voice of the Citizens Meeting - 84.6% had no interaction; thus 15.4% had the lowest interaction rate).
Note the positive/negative experiences among those who actually participated in those activities.
Those who attended NCS's, participated in or knew about PACTAC, and/or attended neighborhood meetings had fairly high levels of positive experience with the police.
My experience in the four years I worked on public safety issues in Rochester before moving to Wisconsin to be near my grandchildren was that I had fairly positive experiences with the police because of my active involvement. Despite the fact that I lived on two of the worst drug corners in the city (first Union & Weld, then Chili & Hobart), I felt relatively safe. I would even walk down to the liquor store on Chili Avenue at night. Not late, but after dark.
But most people don't want to be actively involved. They have other, more important (to them) things to be doing.
But the thing about being actively involved is that you then become known to the RPD in a positive way. You CREATE the necessary sense of community in order to feel safe.
So if you want to feel safer in the City, get involved!
Re: “Politics, violence, and the city’s mayoral race”
Why didn't you include Rachel Barnhart's statement on the report, which pretty much echoes what you think the mayoral candidates should be saying?
http://rachelformayor.com/barnhart-need-tr…
Stop trying to pretend there are only two candidates for mayor.