The Unity Council’s Director of Fund Development and Communications, Caheri Gutierrez, was recently featured in The Guardian, contributing to a broader conversation on public safety in Oakland.
In her remarks, Caheri emphasized that while declining homicide rates are an important indicator of progress, data alone does not fully capture community well-being. True public safety must also be measured by how safe residents feel in their neighborhoods—an essential perspective that requires ongoing listening, trust-building, and community engagement.
As a Public Safety Planning and Oversight Commissioner, Caheri highlighted the City of Oakland’s continued investments in violence prevention, fire services, and policing, as well as the critical role of Measure NN in sustaining these efforts. She also underscored the longstanding impact of community-based organizations, whose work has helped position Oakland as a national model for prevention, intervention, and healing.
In Fruitvale, this impact is visible through The Unity Council’s integrated services model, which addresses the root causes of inequity by connecting residents to housing, education, and economic opportunity in culturally responsive ways.
We are grateful to The Guardian for elevating this important conversation and to Caheri for representing The Unity Council’s commitment to building safer, stronger communities.
