The District has opened its first “Safe Commercial Corridor Hub,” a resource center to bring city services to Chinatown.
This hub will address various needs in real time, including behavioral outreach services for substance abuse disorders, mental health resources and services for the homeless, D.C. City Administrator Kevin Donahue said.
“Well, we know presence matters. So, public safety is an all of government approach. We know when public safety is present and that presence is sustained, we see crime go down,” Donahue said.
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The space will be open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. D.C. police will have 24/7 access to the building and will use it as a home base to patrol the neighborhood.
“We also know from experience that when public safety and law enforcement have regular connections with human services with behavioral health, they often strengthen each other's work,” Donahue said.
He added that this usually suppresses crime and improves public safety.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser plans to open two more hubs in U Street and Anacostia.
