DC Mayor Awards $10 Million to Safe Passage Project

On Nov. 13, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice (DMPSJ) awarded $10 million to four community-based organizations for the Fiscal Year 2025 Safe Passage, Safe Blocks program.

The Safe Passage, Safe Blocks program was first introduced in the 2017-2018 school year. It hires and places trusted adults along common school routes to help students feel safer on their commutes to and from school. Initially, the program focused exclusively on Wards 5, 7, and 8, but it has since expanded to include other areas throughout D.C.

The recently awarded funds will go to the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, Collaborative Solutions for Communities, the Georgia Avenue Family Support Collaborative, and the National Association for the Advancement of Returning Citizens, with the program targeting locations in nearly every ward.

Walls students had varying responses to this development. After hearing a brief description of the program, responses ranged from supportive to skeptical.

Khiya Brown (‘28) said, “I think it’s a good idea to make kids feel safer taking public transportation.” Continuing that thought, a senior who wished to remain anonymous said, “It seems like a good idea, especially since it’s trusted adults rather than an alienating police presence.”

However, some students have a different perspective. Porter Jackson (‘28) says, “I feel as though $10 million is an obscene amount.”

Additionally, some students believe in the program but remain skeptical of its effectiveness. Xavier Miller (‘25) says, “Even though I’ve seen them in passing many times, I haven’t gotten to see much of what it is they actually do. However, I do appreciate what DCPS is trying to do with this program.” 

Chiara Cerletti-Giraudy (‘28) adds, “I think that it is a lot of money, but it’s very useful for people who need to get to school safely, especially in a city with a lot of traffic. I hope it’s just used correctly.”

The program could have a significant impact on school commuters or could result in money poorly spent. However, awareness of the program remains limited, and it may not achieve its goal of easing students’ concerns if students are simply unaware of its existence.