Neighbors Leading Neighborhood Safety
The Neighborhood Safety Community Council (NSCC) is a permanent advisory group that keeps the voice of the community at the heart of the City’s public safety work. Appointed community members from every ward in Saint Paul work alongside the Office of Neighborhood Safety to shape priorities, review contract proposals, evaluate the impact of neighborhood safety initiatives, and create and implement new violence prevention programming like Goals Not Guns.
The Council’s responsibilities include:
- Recommending and prioritizing community safety strategies
- Engaging community members around safety policies
- Reviewing the effectiveness of ONS programs
- Advising on annual funding to community organizations
- Helping ensure safety efforts are grounded in lived experience and resident input
Serving on the NSCC is a hands-on opportunity to influence how Saint Paul prevents violence, invests in neighborhoods, and builds a safer city for everyone.
View NSCC meeting agendas and minutes
The Neighborhood Safety Community Council meets quarterly, typically on the fourth Tuesday of the final month of the fiscal quarter. These meetings are open to the public, and you can come in person are online. Some Community Council members may participate on video, per Minnesota statute §13D.02.
Empowering Saint Paul Kids to Say No to Violence
From 2023 to 2025, the week-long Goals Not Guns curriculum helped children and teenagers build the skills to choose a gun-free path. The Neighborhood Safety Community Council (NSCC) provided the “Goals Not Guns” program alongside Elpis Enterprises, a local nonprofit serving Saint Paul youth. Together, we involved young people in healthy conversations about gun violence prevention and mental health.
- Creativity for a cause. As part of the curriculum, each student created an original message about saying no to guns with a slogan and artwork. At the end of the program, one student’s message was printed on T-shirts to help spark positive conversations.
- Expanding from schools to parks. After bringing the program to Saint Paul elementary, middle, and high schools, ONS expanded the Goals Not Guns curriculum to youth in City programs like Right Track and Rec Check.