Public Safety means a program or programs carried out or promoted by a public agency for public purposes involving, directly or indirectly, the protection, safety, law enforcement activities, and criminal justice system of a given political area. Public safety programs may include but are not limited to those carried out by public police departments, sheriffs’ offices, the courts, penal and correctional institutions including juvenile facilities, State and civil defense organizations, fire departments and rescue squads, including volunteer fire departments and rescue squads supported in whole or in part with public funds. Organizations outside the umbrella of the criminal justice system—including agencies and community-based organizations that provide social, health, and workforce development services— aid in rehabilitation and successful re-entry for justice-involved individuals, which promotes criminal desistance and improves community public safety.
