Eyes on the street?

In the wake of the Trayvon Martin case, many Americans are doubtless pensive about the role of neighbours in local community safety. And much of the debate refers back to Jane Jacobs’ straightforward explanation of the power of residents’ presence in their own neighbourhoods.

I once used the phrase ‘eyes on the street’ in a radio interview and was told it was jargon, though it seems a pretty self-evident concept for people who aren’t too lazy to think about the words they hear. (I also once tried to discuss with a bunch of senior police officers the notion that residents 'co-produce' their own safety. Sigh).

Perhaps the idea of eyes on the street is due a re-interpretation, as this short article in the Atlantic seems to suggest. There’s plenty that might be added to the mix discussed, such as the part played by ‘defensible space’ and ‘secured by design’ principles, and the politics of segregation… but I love the image. It comes from Justice for Families, who are ‘inviting communities to gather for a Night Out for Safety, Democracy, and Human Rights.’