Brookline Police Launch Safe Place Initiative For LGBTQ+ Youth

BROOKLINE, MA — The Brookline Police Department has launched a Safe Place Initiative to create more visible acceptance for LGBTQ+ youth and enhance public education regarding the reporting of hate crimes.

The concept, developed by the Seattle Police Department in 2015 to assist the victims of hate crimes and bullying, is that by creating greater and more visible acceptance for LGBTQ+ youth, they are given a wider safety net should they find themselves victimized or placed in fear of victimization.

Brookline police will do this by providing Safe Place logos to local businesses and social organizations who wish to participate with the goal of making the town a safer place to live.

Although the program was launched for LGBTQ+ youth, it is for all hate crimes, which include race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, mental, physical, or sensory disabilities, homelessness, marital status, political ideology, age, or parental status.

"Should you present at a designated Safe Place, you should know that the business owners have made the following promise to you: You will be heard, and you will be treated with care, dignity and respect from the business you enter to find help in, as well as from the Police Officers who respond to investigate," said Brookline police in a Facebook post.

As of this year, the program has been adopted by over 275 law enforcement jurisdictions throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. In Brookline, the following businesses have already committed to the program:

• Brookline Booksmith
• Athan's
• The Paris Creperie
• Busy Bee Restaurant
• Livite
• Brookline Rotary
• Brookline Chamber of Commerce

To join the Safe Place program by requesting a decal and education for your business, click here. For more information, contact Officer Kristin Healy, LGBTQ+ Liaison, at Kmhealy@brooklinema.gov or 617-730-2781.