Wellington’s Safe Neighborhoods Initiative is a program that is successfully revitalizing and stabilizing our community, neighborhood by neighborhood.  The primary goals are to reduce crime, improve property values and engage residents through recreation, beautification projects and civic efforts.  The team comprised of Code Compliance Officers, Sheriff’s Deputies serving as community policing officers and Neighborhood Advocates work together to decrease criminal activity, improve the infrastructure, create community cohesion, provide families better access to social services and solve problems.   Advocates interact with residents directly by going door to door to assess the needs of the community; programs are then created based on the information obtained.  Collaboration with local businesses, non-profit organizations, local Chambers of Commerce and faith based organizations engage the community as a whole.  Since the program began, crime rates have dropped significantly in target areas; businesses and residents now work together to improve the neighborhoods and more and more residents are volunteering, as a sense of pride in the community develops.