True community safety in Fresno means street vendors don’t need to fear for their lives

On March 21st, Fresno suffered a heartbreaking loss when Lorenzo Perez was murdered while working his route as a street vendor in southeast Fresno. He was a loving father and husband and the only provider for his wife and children.

Mr. Perez’s tragic death touched all of us and many responded with sincere kindness and generosity. Financial support will cover immediate expenses, but our donations and well wishes will not bring him back to his family.

Given this hard and unforgiving truth, what will it take to honor Mr. Perez’s memory? What are we willing to do to prevent this tragedy from happening again? As heartbreaking as Mr. Perez’s death and his family’s suffering is, their pain is not isolated. In the last year, there have been six reported assaults on street vendors, and the last two were fatal.

Predictably, some initial reactions called for increased police presence and funding. Others wasted no time using this tragedy to stoke fear and interracial hostility. Looking beyond the sound bites, we can see the simple truth. Structural conditions make street vendors and other working people vulnerable. Street vendors are a target of violence and intimidation specifically because they are not likely to contact police even when they are in danger. It’s a catch 22 — call the police and risk being cited and having your merchandise confiscated, or risk being a target of theft and violence. Those flawed choices are the result of concentrated poverty and lack of social resources that put certain communities at risk for harm.

These are the life-or-death nuances some civic and community leaders continue to overlook. It was heartening to see so much support for the Perez family, and yet, Mr. Perez might still be with us if he had access to a street vending license, meaningful support to grow his business, quality housing, and all the other rights and benefits that should be available to all Fresnans.

If we really want a safe community, we must create neighborhoods with ample opportunities that enable all Fresnans to live with dignity. Few places in California are more disinvested and polluted than south Fresno. We’ve repeatedly made national news for ranking highest in concentrated poverty and pollution burden, and we’re dead last in racial inclusion and economic opportunity.

This is precisely why Fresno DRIVE (Developing the Region’s Inclusive and Thriving Economy), has made community safety a pillar of its far-reaching economic development plan. A community safety model defines public safety beyond enforcement and punishment. It invests in community-based prevention that strengthens relationships, addresses structural inequities that push Black, brown and Southeast Asian community members into the criminal system, and prioritizes efforts to change neighborhood conditions. These approaches can prevent crime before it happens.

Communities become safe when we take on outdated policies that force vendors and other workers to operate without licenses, exposing them to risks of operating in the shadows just to feed their families. Communities become safe when we support safety net and wealth creation programs to spur economic activity and job creation. Communities become safe when we build educational equity, create quality jobs that pay a living wage and develop safe and affordable housing.

There is no evidence that endlessly investing in police creates safe communities. In the last two years, city leaders provided Fresno Police Department $40 million in new funding, and we have a record high violent crime rate.

Real investment in people and neighborhoods increases safety. Let’s make the leap from charity and mourning to robust community safety. Fresno deserves it.

This story was originally published May 4, 2021 at 1:54 PM.