Police are expanding their outreach in Palm Beach County.
Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) applied for and received a $175,000 grant to implement the Safe Place Initiative, which assists victims of hate crimes or harassment.
The initiative, established in Seattle in 2015, in Palm Beach will encourage local businesses to post a 4’’ x 6’’ decal by their front door, designed as a sheriff’s star with Pride colors. Writing on the decal lets someone in need know that by entering the establishment, they will have the police called for them and will remain safe waiting there.
Businesses that want to take part should visit pbsosafeplace.org to receive updates, and are expected to obtain decals in March, PBSO Captain Beth Krivda said.
A 2024 study published by the ACLU shows LGBTQ people are more likely to be mistreated by police. Michael Riordan, director of media and communications for LGBTQ organization Compass Community Center, said Compass and PBSO have a long-standing partnership in place. Riordan said this liaison has strengthened the relationship between the LGBTQ community and the sheriff’s office, and the Safe Place Initiative will take that trust a step further.
“The goal of this program is to start chipping away at that stigma. … I understand that law enforcement has come under incredible scrutiny over the last several years, and like anything, it's an incredibly complex issue,” Riordan said. “What I can say is that PBSO has put in the work with us and our community to be a safe law enforcement organization for our community.”
Executing the initiative in Palm Beach goes beyond handing out decals. Krivda said PBSO works with a program called Out to Protect, which trains officers that are part of an LGBTQ liaison on how to best offer support to the queer community.
Krivda also said businesses who sign up for the decal will receive a brief training on what is expected of them as a Safe Place establishment.
Riordan said she encourages local businesses to take part in the initiative not only to support LGBTQ people, but all victims in need of help.
“We talk a lot about creating safe spaces for LGBTQ people, and people will look at that and say, ‘Well, that's just LGBTQ people,’” Riordan said. “But if you create a safe place for LGBTQ people to go and exist and get help, you are creating a safe place for everybody to make a call and know that they're going to be responded to respectfully, decently and like human beings.”
