What was formerly the City of Greensboro’s Office of Community Safety, led by Latisha McNeil, is now a city department: the Community Safety Department.
According to a statement from city officials regarding the new department, “This endeavor to create a community-centered and safe Greensboro for all residents and visitors, will continue to convene police, community partners, and City leadership to discuss crime, mental health and the root causes of violence.”
The department will be part of the City Manager’s Office, under the guidance of Assistant City Manager Andrea Harrell.
As part of the upgrade from office to department, there’s also been an expansion of services.
The city has grown the department’s Homeless Outreach Mobile Engagement program – also known as GSO HOME. That initiative offers intervention and other services to Greensboro’s “difficult-to-reach, high-risk unsheltered population.”
The problem of homelessness in Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem has proven to be extremely recalcitrant in Guilford County (and in many other parts of the country), and, in recent years, the local governments of this area have been attempting to address the problem.
City officials hope this new push – announced at a time when the weather is likely to be as cold as it gets all year – will make real inroads in addressing the problem in Greensboro.
The issue of homelessness was a major topic of discussion in 2024 due largely to problems that resulted when the downtown Interactive Resource Center switched from being a day service for the homeless to being a 24/7 operation. Late in 2024, the center scaled back its hours.
Guilford County government, the city of Greensboro, area churches and others have been attempting to fill in the holes.
Guilford County, the cities in it, and community partners that battle homelessness are currently gearing up to get a better idea of the extent of the problem in the county. In every odd-numbered year, as required by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, local governments, organizations and groups of volunteers take to the streets and attempt to count, at a single point in time, all of the homeless in the community.
This year that count in Guilford County will start on Wednesday, Jan. 29 and run through Thursday, Jan. 30.
The bitter cold, the coming count and the major problems resulting from the homeless crisis has put the matter on the front burner for many local leaders.
Currently, Guilford County and the cities have major initiatives to create more beds that can be used by the homeless.
This new City of Greensboro Department and the expansion of services includes undertaking all of the city’s efforts to find and offer warm emergency housing for the homeless and the other most at-risk people.
Greensboro City Manager Trey Davis said this week, “The challenges and unique needs of our unhoused neighbors necessitated the creation of the Community Safety Department.”
Davis also said that the new department with expanded services should allow its director, Latisha McNeil to leverage resources that already exist in other city departments, in Guilford County government, and in community partners.
The effort will include the Downtown Greensboro Ambassadors – a program that helps and assists those in downtown in many ways, including connecting those who need help with available social services.
According to city officials, the new Community Safety Department will keep a focus on “core service areas” such as Violence Intervention, the Behavioral Health Response Team, and the Law Enforcement Assistance Diversion Program.
Thanks Scott…a good article. It looks like more government bloat and wasted tax dollars which will of course require more tax dollars. If the “root causes” are not known by now, then the local govt has been asleep for the last few years or longer. I hope they are successful but with the city and county giving the impression of an easy mark, my expectations of success are very low .
What a joke. Just another boondoogle created to give high paying government jobs to minorities. Community engagement is a neighborhood prayer vigil with elderly men and activist females wringing their hands when their progeny end up dead from gang violence. African American culture is disintegrating before our eyes. Marriage rate for African Americans is around 24% and falling. The culture idolizes hip hop culture and wonders why the number one cause of death for African American men is homicide. 85% of African American births are to single Mom’s. This department will only serve to make it’s leadership able to shine with expensive cars and Gucci handbags at the taxpayers expense while the homicide rate continues to climb. The sad truth is no one is allowed to ask the African American political class for accountability as that would be racist.
ditto
Single mom means not married it does not mean not tethered to a man. Statistics 101 and two this city is 45% black and growing so if we fill the majority of the positions in this county that is in line with population growth. We are third largest county in the state and are by far the largest economy in this area all the rural counties do is suck up resources and jobs. We are allowed to allocate resources however we please we have built Greensboro into a modern metropolis with a GDP that surpasses all the rural counties in the 336 area code combined you have to admit that your unadulterated racism is showing and not doing you any justice because now you can’t even admit that this is the most important city in Central NC and it’s been maintained and managed by black people and white liberals.
Poorly maintained and managed like every major metro in the country. Like I said, to ask for accountability is to be called a racist.
Why make Community Engagement a Dept?
They have failed. There are no metrics to support it has reduced the homicide rate in two years. McNeil is a professional grant writer skilled at getting taxpayers money.
Actually it’s a facade. It’s one of the most corrupt and it’s easily seen in the fact it should be further ahead then it is. There’s a huge disconnect between the city and it’s people and no one important ever wants to come here. It should be a hot bed for real entertainment and development but we’re passed over and ignored, except by the same ole investors and developers. Yes money can be made here and even stolen by the politicians, but even the black community is ignored by these so called “black and white liberals” and so is everyone else. It’s on pause and until we get rid of this same ole color obsessions and come together under the guidelines of merit and lifting each other up. It’ll stay an ATM for the “liberal” elite
Single mom with baby daddy baby usually means taxpayers footing the bill
WOW, JoeBucket do you wake up with hate in your heart every day? I don’t believe your statistics are accurate and wish that you would just keep your mouth closed when it comes to deeds of humanity. If you’re only going to spew your opinion and not contribute to the well being of your community, then realize that your thoughts need to be reevaluated.
Like I said, if you disagree with blacks, you are a racist. No hate here Lisa. Just tired of seeing the same old clichés being applied to the problem.
Tired of seeing young black men die in the streets.
Tired of seeing the homeless being blamed.
Tired of seeing grifters in government (either black or white) lining up to get PAID while pretending to offer the same old solutions.
My stats are solid.
How ’bout that Global Warming, eh?
Say your head is in the sand without telling everyone your head is in the sand.
Better than where your head is….
i greatly appreciate your agreement that your head is in the sand. Science is clear. Global warming / climate change is real, it’s a significant problem and it is man made.
So what’s the “correct” temperature of the earth? That’s right, you and every other climate alarmist have no idea.
It isn’t what is the ‘right’ temperature. It is what is the limit for average temp change that we can handle without significant impacts. 1.5 C is the current threshold which unless we slow the change we are targeted to hit as early as 2030. We are already seeing more climate change impacts such as extended droughts followed by flooding rainfall, or the issues with coastal.flooding from sea level rising.
The right average temp various greatly by region and season as well as many other factors so it isn’t the right question. Lets stay focused on the change in average temp. But thanks for asking. Hope my response helped your understanding a bit. Happy to discuss further.
i am having difficulty trying . . .
Yeah! I’ve had enough of this “global warming ” ! Time to recognize that climate change has been going on ever since God created this Earth!
You do realize how much the rate temperature increase has excelerlated since the industrial age started? You can pretend it isn’t an issue if you don’t have children or grandchildren as the older generations won’t have to deal with the more substantial impacts, but within the next 20 to 50 years, if things don’t change, the next generation will have significant adjustments to make.
Then toss in over fishing, loss of bio diversity and over crowding of many areas of the world and I really worry for the future of my grandchildren.
But you be you.
Sure. The climate scientists that have modeled the impact of industrial impact on our climate are the ones that calculated and proved that climate has changed throughout the history of our planet. They ALSO determined that the acceleration of climate change is directly correlated to the industrial age’s reliance carbon based energy.
Community Safety Department. . . . .yet one more layer of government to do things that should already be done by other “existing” departments. . . . .but another layer of DEI hires as well. For all you Greensboro citizens who vote. . .this is what you get with democrats running for office. . . .a 3 layer cake suddenly becomes a seven layer cake.
This city is 45% black it doesn’t matter what you vote for you’re going to lose.
That’s what they said about Trump vs Kamala. Interesting.
Sounds like you’re saying the earth is overpopulated maybe it’s time for selective culling
I vote we start with the democrats
Throw enough money at it and hope it goes away!!!!
Ahhhh. More cushy-feel-good jobs for the faithful. Simple suggestion: a fully-staffed police force, with the wasted money, enforcing the law.
This is called common sense.
This is just another reason to raise taxes for an unneeded dept. Most citizens call the Community Safety Dept. the police!! In a time when local government should take their lead from the Federal Government and cut out waste, this is your tax dollars not working at all!
Just another money pit.
One way to keep people safe is to check the street lights. I drove down a residential street the other night and out of 10 street lights on that street only one was working. The rest of the street was in total darkness. And that street was near Four Seasons Mall. It’s not like it was in a development in the rural part of the county. It’s a shame that you can’t feel safe going out at night in your own neighborhood.
Parts of Greensboro are starting to look like the Third World.
I thought the Police Department is the department responsible for keeping us safe??
How about that! ANOTHER DEI project has been born in Greensboro while the trend in the country is elimination of DEI. Yep, we’re still sitting at the lunch counter and living in the past.
an ‘office’ is now a ‘department’ . . . ‘tribunal’ next ? ‘committee’ is <$.
I tried to give Trey the benefit of the doubt and hoped he would make some positive changes. Alas, I was wrong. He is worse than his predecessors. All his focus seems to be on adding new and unnecessary high paying positions while doing nothing about existing non-performing department heads that don’t even come to work.
That’s exactly how government works! Pretend jobs and Cadillac benefits… and we pay the bills.
Oh he does something..kisses ass. Go watch the press conference when Officer Horan was killed. First, he felt the need to speak after the Assistant Chief spoke. Then he began his speech with acknowledging the city council members that were present. When an officer is killed no one cares what city council members showed up to the press conference.
The city manager is unqualified for the job. He is lazy, that is why he created so many new positions so he will not be accountable. He does not know how to actively engage in the responsibilities of his position. He sucks up to keep a low profile in hopes that no one notices he is incompetent.
Homelessness is a big problem. The people who don’t want help should be left alone. Others who are willing and able, “taught to fish”. Those with addictions and/or mental illness should be placed in institutions where they can get help. After that, having a support network to help people so they don’t end up back on the street.
Simple solution for the homeless and all the vagrants in Greensboro. Ship them all to the old County Farm. Provide them with housing, counseling, and job training by letting them learn to grow and cook crops. Unfortunately, such a program would probably be a bust for the majority of these individuals as they would have to work! Also, the absence of the availability of drugs and alcohol would certainly influence many to go AWOL!
Thats a great idea, but that makes too much sense, so Greensboro won’t do it. Thats the perfect place. Wake up Greensboro. Wake up County Commissioners. Nothing else has been working, so think outside the box.
put the drugs & alcohol where we would like them to diddle . . . & food & toilet.
build those institutions & staff them with your time & resources ?
It can be real simple if they were born in Guilford County then offer then services.
If they were not born in Guilford County offer them a train ticket or a bus ticket anywhere out of the county.
The reason we have a problem is people ride the rail and when they come into Greensboro they find all these social programs for homelessness.
Well they tell their friends who tell their friends and next thing you know people all up and down the coast or riding their trains into Greensboro looking for a handout.
This is why San Diego has one of the largest homeless problems and the US.
I guess I’m stupid but I thought LEO was supposed to be the ones keeping us safe.
The biggest waste of taxpayer money. Greensboro just sucks. No other way to explain it.
Keep chewing a cud and the larger it gets. More government growth with no solutions. This started 3-4 years ago buying a motel that to my knowledge still has not been used then more property on Summit Ave that sits boarded up. The only thing I have read. That the city has come up with is fancy names to prevent using the term homeless people. Let’s face it that is what it is. It all starts and grows when the city rolls out the welcome matt. BUT THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND TAXPAYERS PAY THE BILL AND NOTHING HAPPENS NO SOLUTIONS OR HELP FOR “unsheltered neighbors” or homeless people in plain English. It is a problem that never gets solved and only grows. The time to address it was when a property owner said, “you are becoming Asheville you better get a handle on it”. This advice was four or five years ago. The city has the same conversation every year. How many people and how much money are involved with this problem vs five years ago. Is GSO growing faster or slower than the rest of the country? We need problem solvers and preventers on this not politicians.
The property on Summit was a boondogle created to enrich the pockets of the favorite MWBE of the Year 2023. The MWBE purchased the property for no apparent reason for 300K and flipped it back to the City 60 days later for $900k. A cool 600K profit.
It begs the question why a certain Council woman would submit a motion for the City to suddenly buy the property that had sat vacant for years?
Wow. That’s called corruption. The Feds need to investigate this.
Was her last name Wells
Yes
STOP COMPLAINING AND DO SOMETHING! Why are our people suffering, homeless, doing without food/ medicine to pay rent/ mortgage, and violent from losing hope? We the people are supposed to be solving these problems – not the City of, County of, or State of anywhere adding another useless department. Men/ women are responsible; “WE ARE” the government, not “the governed” unless we consent. Where is the proof? It is in the Republic, the ORGANIC (ORIGINAL) DOCUMENTS CREATED BY OUR FOREFATHERS, now HIDDEN under layers of multiple constitutions that have nothing to do with you, the living people. We elders have failed to teach you that WORDS/words are important. Listen to the 1787 ORGANIC (original) constitution FOR (not of) the United States of America (not the United States) created by us as the people, for us as the government, at https://youtu.be/A6Zv3MbAyPc?si=t1Tx5Qy1N8zU5BEw
there are many empty buildings called ‘churches’ in the area that are exempt from property taxes . . . start taxing them & use that revenue source (& the buildings) for charity ? yes, yours is empty except for a couple of staff on payroll . . . go look now !
There are many, many owners of properties that do not pay property taxes. We could start with Skippy’s Woolworth Museum and advance to all other such “non-profits.” Have you noticed the “churches” that are in strip malls that have coverings over their windows? What about country clubs? Why do they not pay property taxes? What is so special about them that they are allowed to skirt paying property taxes so that you and I subsidize the clubs by paying what they do not. What would their property tax responsibility be based on value? Greensboro Country Club and Starmount look quite valuable to me. I am sure Guilford County tax Department knows their tax value. What about retirement homes? Drive by Well-Spring; River Landing, which owns Well-Spring; Friends Homes and other such retirement homes. How does that make you feel that your property taxes are so high because all the forementioned do not pay property taxes because the government has deemed them so special that the rest of us must pay the property taxes that they do not.
there are many empty buildings called ‘churches’ in the area that are exempt from property taxes . . . start taxing them & use that revenue source (& the buildings) for charity ? yes, yours is empty except for a couple of staff on payroll . . . go look now !
Too true! I find it galling – and hypocritical – that those who preach about strengthening the fabric of our society, and supporting the community don’t even pay their property tax.