Safety and Security

What We Found

Utah Wellbeing Survey respondents often ranked safety and security as one of the most important wellbeing categories. Luckily, it was also highly rated!

pedestrian street sign

What it is

Safety and security refers to being safeguarded from substantial risks and harm and includes community characteristics like good pedestrian safety and low homicide rates.

Why it matters

Safety and security are important for allowing residents to lead a life free of substantial crime or injury, and for creating a community that people would like to call home. If residents feel as though they are safe, research suggests that they are generally happier, less stressed, and more engaged in their community.

What you can do

To make communities safer and more secure, we recommend that city leaders focus on (1) increasing pedestrian safety, (2) increasing safety in public spaces, (3) developing emergency preparedness plans, (4) ensuring access to goods and services, and (5) by considering neighborhood safety groups such as Neighborhood Watch. Below you can find a list of targeted resources to learn more about safety and security and ways to improve it in your community.

Resources and Links

Click the title of the resource or the associated image to be taken to the referenced link. The icons below indicate if a resource is geared toward community leaders or individuals.

Community Focus | Individual Focus

Urban Safety Governance Initiative

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has created an urban safety governance initiative that aims to make cities safer and more resilient. The link above takes you to their main page where you can view various resources and information related to urban safety. By choosing the "Resources" tab on the website, you can view tools and services specific to different aspect of safety such as policing, crime prevention, and criminal justice reform.

Link addresses the following recommendations: pedestrian safety and safety in public spaces

National Fire Protection Association

The National Fire Protection Association is a non-profit organization that aims to keep people and communities safe from fire and other related hazards by providing evidence-based tools and research. The link above takes you to their Community Risk Reduction: Doing More with More guide, but various other resources and information related to fire safety and prevention can be found on their main site.

Link addresses the following recommendations: emergency preparedness plans

Promoting Traffic Safety through Urban and Street Design

Cities Safer by Design is a program offered by the World Resources Institute that aims to improve pedestrian and traffic safety by providing information and guidelines. The link above takes you to their Guidance and Examples to Promote Traffic Safety Through Urban and Street Design document, which details multiple safety-related solutions that can be utilized by decision-makers.

Link addresses the following recommendations: pedestrian safety and safety in public spaces

Be Ready Utah

Be Ready Utah is a initiative offered by the State of Utah Division of Emergency Management that aims to provide outreach, resources, and information about emergency preparedness. The link above takes you to their main site. In the tabs at the top of their webpage, decision makers can look at tools and information specific to communities and a variety of resources to aid in emergency preparedness.

Link addresses the following recommendations: emergency preparedness plans

Geneva Center for Security and Justice Report

The Geneva Center for Security Sector Governance works to provide policy recommendations, tools, and resources related to urban safety. The link above takes you to their Urban Safety and Security: Security sector governance for inclusive, safe and resilient cities guide, which details issues related to safety in urban areas and ways to address safety by improving security sector governance. Various other resources can be found on their main site.

Link addresses the following recommendations:pedestrian safety, safety in public spaces, and access to goods and services

What Works For Health Database

What Works for Health is a service provided by County Health Rankings and Roadmaps that allows interested parties to browse evidence-based strategies for specific aspects of health. The link above takes you to their page dedicated to strategies for increasing community safety.

Link addresses the following recommendations: pedestrian safety and safety in public spaces

Utah State University Extension

Utah State University (USU) has multiple great Extension programs that provide resources and information to benefit both communities and individuals. The link above takes you to Extension's Emergency Preparedness program, which has great resources that decision makers can use to provide resources for their residents or that residents themselves can view if they would like information on how to prepare for various emergencies.

Link addresses the following recommendations: emergency preparedness plans