The streets of Saint Paul might feel a little safer, especially for its younger residents, thanks to a new initiative focusing on their views of public safety. The City of Saint Paul Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) has teamed up with the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab (GPL) and a youth-led non-profit, World Youth Connect (WYC), to reframe how community safety is measured. Drawing on local perspectives, the collaboration has produced a Community-Based Indicators (CBI) Report, which aims to move beyond crime statistics to better gauge the presence of safety in neighborhoods.

According to the Saint Paul Minnesota, the project involved direct interviews with Saint Paul's young people, independent of the City's influence. The feedback resulted in indicators geared towards activities like playing outside and using public transportation, which are now pegged as yardsticks of public safety. These metrics revolve around the number of youths making use of public spaces, painting a more vivid picture of the community's safety landscape.

Participants in the research expressed a sense of validation. One young respondent conveyed relief, saying this research "lifted a little bit off my chest to finally let other people know what’s been going on, especially in my neighborhood", as reported by the City of Saint Paul. Such sentiment underscores the potential impact of the project, both in giving youth a voice and in making strides toward improving public safety in tangible, meaningful ways.