Evansville Hosted Public Safety Town Hall Series

Mayor Stephanie Terry and local officials gathered community feedback to help shape a new public safety roadmap.

Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Civic

Empty community center meeting room with wooden chairs facing a stage, highlighting a civic gathering space. — Mayor Stephanie Terry and Evansville officials recently held a series of town hall meetings to gather community feedback for a new public safety roadmap. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Mayor Stephanie Terry and the Evansville Police Department held a two-part town hall series to discuss local crime trends and safety strategies. These meetings provided residents with opportunities to share feedback during dedicated breakout sessions.

Why it matters

The series seeks to integrate direct community input into the city's future public safety planning process. By engaging residents directly, officials aim to build a roadmap that addresses local security concerns through collaborative strategies.

The initiative consisted of two distinct town hall sessions, each lasting 90 minutes from 5:30 to 7 p.m. These meetings utilized breakout groups to facilitate focused public discussion on safety data.

The players

Stephanie Terry

Stephanie Terry is the Mayor of Evansville who spearheaded the initiative to engage residents in safety planning.

Evansville Police Department

The Evansville Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency responsible for presenting safety strategies and crime data to the public.

Phil Smith

Phil Smith is a local leader who served as a speaker during the public safety town hall series.

Noah Robinson

Noah Robinson is a local leader who participated in the community discussions regarding safety.

The details

City leaders including Phil Smith, Diana Moers, Celia Pauli, Noah Robinson, and Gary Schutte participated in the events to present safety data to the public. Residents offered input on local crime trends, which will inform the development of a comprehensive community-driven public safety roadmap for the city.

The first town hall occurred on October 14, 2026, at the Dream Center.
The second town hall occurred on October 29, 2026, at Zion Missionary Baptist Church.

Industry Dynamics

This approach mirrors a shift toward community-policing models that prioritize local transparency over top-down safety mandates. Such initiatives follow the pattern set by the 21st Century Policing report recommendations by prioritizing community input in public safety governance.

Residents who attended the sessions gained direct access to city leadership and law enforcement to voice concerns about local crime. Participants were able to contribute their personal perspectives to the upcoming safety roadmap through structured breakout discussions.

The takeaway

Engaging in local town halls allows citizens to influence municipal policy before final strategies are enacted by leadership. Residents are encouraged to stay informed about future feedback opportunities to ensure their safety priorities remain reflected in official city plans.