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Source: The Washington Post / Getty

This week on the Community Affairs Show, Cheryl Jackson talks with Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice of the District of Columbia, Christopher Geldart.  Deputy Mayor Geldart shares how The District is employing a number of engagement strategies this summer to increase safety for residents and visitors including their 202 for Peace Campaign and their Multiagency Nightlife Task Force.

202 for Peace is designed to engage residents in people and place based work to help make our communities safer including volunteerism and mentoring and simple to complex “cleaning and greening” projects. We also target messaging to the folks who may be currently vulnerable to violent activity. You can learn more about the campaign at 202forPeace.dc.gov -The task force is a collaborative effort of all of our public safety agencies working together during nights on the weekends to help enforce our high traffic nightlife corridors such as U Street, H Street and Connecticut Avenue.

Also, The Mayor’s FY23 budget invests heavily in programs and services to prevent and reduce violent crime in our communities.

About Deputy Mayor Chris Geldart:

Mayor Muriel Bowser appointed Christopher Geldart to serve as Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice on January 28, 2021 after having previously served as the District’s Operational Lead during the emergency response to COVID-19 and Director of the Department of Public Works.

Mr. Geldart is a recognized leader in emergency management, whose in-depth experience spans municipal, state and federal agencies, as well as the private sector. He is proficient in coordinating local government agency resources, regional authorities, public utilities and the private sector to achieve successful solutions during emergency situations.

As former Director of the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency from 2012-2017, Mr. Geldart led the planning and execution of three presidentially declared disasters and 20 national special security events, including three inaugurations and State of the Union Addresses. During his tenure with HSEMA, he also directed the response to two major snowstorms as well as Hurricane Sandy.

On the federal government level, Mr. Geldart served as the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Director of the National Capital Region Coordination Office. In this capacity, he was the federal government’s lead for domestic preparedness in the National Capital Region. He furthered the region’s efforts in risk management, federal participation in regional planning with state and local partners, and catastrophic planning throughout the greater National Capital Region. Before joining FEMA in April 2007, Mr. Geldart worked for the State of Maryland as Assistant Director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security. He also served in the United States Marine Corps from 1989 to 2001, where he had several leadership positions in the Fleet Marine Force and was certified as an instructor in a joint military formal school environment.

Mr. Geldart earned a bachelor’s degree in American History from the University of Maryland.

Community Affairs Show: Addressing Public Safety Concerns In the District of Columbia  was originally published on praisedc.com