CASPER, Wyo. — The Casper City Council is considering a series of recommendations to tackle violence, homelessness, and youth engagement. This comes after their involvement in the Peace in Our Cities program, aimed at improving community safety.
“Peace in Our Cities was introduced to us earlier this year, following a tough time for Casper, where we saw several young lives lost to violence,” said interim City Manager Zulima Lopez, referencing the tragic deaths of local teens like Bobby Maher and Lene’a Brown.
The new approach focuses on shared responsibility. It will support the Natrona Council for Safety and Justice in leading community-focused safety and justice efforts.
A delegation, including Vice Mayor Michael McIntosh and Police Chief Shane Chaney, recently visited Edmonton, Canada, to learn about effective strategies for reducing violence. They discovered that cities similar to Casper can implement comparable solutions.
“Edmonton has successfully lowered its crime rate through various initiatives, which has not been this low in over ten years,” Chaney noted. “What stood out is that they managed this not by increasing police duties but by creating an ecosystem of support around the police.”
Programs in Edmonton include a 24/7 crisis diversion service and collaborative data-sharing among health and safety organizations. “Generating meaningful data is exciting,” said Councilor Kyle Gamroth, highlighting its importance for better decision-making.
A key part of Casper’s strategy is to offer alternative methods for handling non-emergency situations. The city plans to launch a 24/7 Crisis Diversion Team to respond to behavioral health needs, aiming to reduce both hospitalizations and incarceration rates.
The council is also funding the Situation Table initiative to improve supportive services for high-risk cases. This aims to effectively wrap-around support for those in need.
Next, the council hopes to collaborate with the Casper-Natrona County Health Department to create a community blueprint for violence prevention.
Additionally, to combat rising violence among youth, the council wants to set up a dedicated space for young people at the Casper Recreation Center. This area would focus on mentorship and mental health resources, all led by the youth themselves.
While the council discussed these recommendations, no decisions were made. They will vote on the proposals at a future meeting.
According to recent studies, communities focusing on preventive measures like those proposed in Casper have seen significant reductions in violence. A report from the National Institute of Justice found that cities with strong community engagement and data-utilizing strategies manage to decrease crime rates more effectively than cities relying solely on policing. This aligns with Casper’s goal of fostering a safer, more engaged community.
By learning from other cities and investing in young people’s futures, Casper is taking steps that could lead to a brighter, safer tomorrow for its residents.
