Imagining a Safer Walk along the Path

For the owner of Butter Bakery Cafe, what does safety look like?

Over the 15 years we've been around in south Minneapolis, Butter has been a safe space. Mostly. 

The rare events that have occurred over the years feel out-of-place and certainly not the norm.  A couple of break-in-robberies, a few tip jar thefts, a couple computers stolen off of a counter or table, a couple bikes and some parts of bikes stolen, a traffic accident involving a pedestrian, a couple medical emergencies, and a couple of assaults that spilled over from the street into our patio space have disturbed us and remind us that we are surrounded by brokenness.

We have also been a place of comfort for those who've had to deal with traumatic events - gathering people together, offering first aid, calling for help, standing as witnesses, protecting.  Being a community space means doing the work of building community.  We recognize that our eyes on the street, our physical presence, our warm welcomes all play a part in creating that safe space.   We understand that listening is first job of customer service.  We make the time and space to be good listeners.  We're trouble-shooters, always trying to find a way to meet the needs and requests of those who come to us.  

I have been amazed at the ways other people with their own particular skills have been able to lend their part to what we do.  Artists have provided the visual space for helping us see solutions.  Teachers have shared their wisdom to give us the skills we need to be successful.  Health care professionals of all kinds who've provided the comfort and healing needed.  Together we spread a blanket of care and concern.

We have had the good fortune of having positive interactions with police officers when needed.  There have been times when I could tell they did not feel useful, or it was too late to do anything and really not a good use of their time.  And we have had times when officers were willing to help but probably felt that this was something other people could have easily taken care of without them.

Empowering each other to become the help we seek is one step to removing our dependence on police as the fix for anything that discomforts us.  There are, of course, always going to be times when we need to reach out for the training, authority, and resources of police officers but those occasions are, like the rare events I described above, rare.  

We do have all we need right now to create safe communities - we just need to find the will to care for each other deeply and fully.  

We've been trying to model that level of caring here at Butter - within our workplace, with our neighbors, with our partners.  In doing so, we experience a deep care that is returned to us. It helps me feel safe. 

I feel fortunate that the police interactions I've had over the years have been generally positive and have worked for me and, help me feel somewhat safe.  But I am painfully aware that this system does not work well for my neighbors of color, creates generally negative experiences, and does not help them feel safe.  If it cannot work well for all of us, it is not working. I believe we can find a way to replace this current system with something that will work for all of us.  I should not feel safe when others are not feeling safe, so I must be willing to face whatever discomfort change might cause me.  It is how we will walk this path together safely.