Why it's important
Other than a perceived lack of parking, nothing keeps people from coming downtown more than fear, according to our surveys.
Comments at the forums included: "Downtown doesn't feel comfortable; there's no light"; "Our group was of the unanimous opinion that downtown Syracuse was perceived to be unsafe and crime-ridden"; "Crime is the No. 1 obstacle to an enjoyable visit to downtown."
Yet many people swear by downtown's safety, and statistically it is one of the safest places in Syracuse. Less than 5 percent of the crime in Syracuse happens downtown, according to police statistics, and the city as a whole is safer than Buffalo, Rochester and Albany.
But there are things we can do to make it safer, and other things that can be done that will help people feel more secure when they come downtown.
How does the following strategy sound to you?
* Use technology such as emergency call boxes, surveillance cameras and lighting to deter crime and make people feel safer without shifting too many police resources from neighborhoods with worse crime.
* Make an extra effort to have a visible police presence when you know downtown will receive lots of visitors -- during festivals, for instance .
Also see that police are visible, preferable out of their patrol cars, in areas where lots of people congregate, like at the Common Center bus transfer station during the morning and afternoon rush, and around the Civic Center and War Memorial on nights when there are events.
* Establish a downtown "docent" program where volunteers, ideally in highly visible outfits, help the unfamiliar negotiate downtown.
* Create and promote a program discouraging people from giving to panhandlers, with the goal of reducing begging in the city center. The policy should recognize people's First Amendment right to beg, as well as our collective right to declare begging a detriment to our downtown and to do what we can to discourage it.
