For the past two years, a community-focused safety project has been active in Cook County, Minnesota. The initiative was started by Nonviolence Peace Force, an international humanitarian nonprofit organization with experience in areas of conflict in predominantly urban locations across the nation. Thanks to a grant from the Bush Foundation, the Nonviolence Peace Force hoped to expand its focus on community safety into rural areas following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. The organization identified three pilot communities, including Grand Marais, supported by Northspan. According to Amber Lewis, Northspan Consultant, and Rocio Rivas from Cook County Public Health and Human Services, the project aims to have people in the community who can identify threats and rising tensions, be able to help de-escalate situations, and enhance overall community safety. One of the first steps was to identify who in the community was already having these conversations and doing this work. 

Project activities have included a community-wide survey to assess perceptions of psychological and physical safety, followed by story circles held in the spring of 2024. These qualitative discussions aimed to provide deeper insights into the issues raised in the survey. Additionally, workshops have been conducted, including an adult session in October 2024 that adapted content for a youth-focused workshop.

Data gathered from the community survey and story circles identified potential areas of concern, including conflicts related to political division, tensions between long-term and newer residents, and economic inequality. A similar survey of youth participants identified similar concerns. Rivas shared that the youth she spoke with said they didn’t know how to deal with potential threats and had some concerns about what to do if issues came up. The development of a specific youth workshop was a direct response to requests from young people, including representatives from LGBTQ+ and Grand Portage youth groups.

A youth workshop, "Safe Together: Empowering Peaceful Responses," was held on April 21st at the Cook County Community Center. This session, hosted in partnership with Cook County Public Health and Human Services, introduced participants aged 13-25 to techniques for personal and situational de-escalation. The workshop covered concepts such as the window of tolerance, the OODA Loop, CLARA, and upstander intervention. The stated goals were to equip young people with skills to remain calm in tense situations and to intervene effectively in instances of bullying.  A stipend was provided for youth, with interested adults present in a support capacity only, and to observe the material.

A Threat Assessment workshop is scheduled for April 22nd at Cook County Higher Ed. This workshop introduces the framework for a proactive approach to community safety and mutual protection. Participants will be instructed in practical skills, including Community Mapping and the Risk Formula, to enable them to develop threat assessments relevant to their community context. The goal is to provide attendees with foundational knowledge to prepare for and articulate the specific safety needs of their community.

A third event, Community Safety Circle, will be held on April 28th at Cook County Higher Ed, in collaboration with Cook County Restorative Justice. This initial circle is intended to be the first in a series of ongoing facilitated discussions focused on various community safety topics. Youth are encouraged to participate in both the Threat Assessment workshop and the Community Safety Circle.

The project reflects a collaborative effort involving organizations such as Cook County Restorative Justice, the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, local higher education institutions, and Public Health and Human Services, with the stated goal of enhancing community safety and cohesion in Cook County.

Lewis and Rivas shared that there’s a group of people who have been and continues to be energized around working together, including but not limited to Restoritive Justice, Cook County PHHS, groups in Grand Portage, and Cook County Higher Ed, and together with various partners, hope to keep the conversation and community action moving forward to help create a safer place.