For Mike Vespa, ensuring people feel safe in the city of Peoria will lead to other good things.
The Peoria County assistant public defender is one of ten candidates running for five open at-large seats on the Peoria City Council this April.
Vespa said Peoria has a good quality of life, with the Peoria Civic Center, the Rivermen hockey team, and Bradley Braves basketball among the things that make the city special.
"I think we have that over Decatur, a bunch of other small to mid-sized cities in our region," he said. "But I think that the most important thing is for people to feel safe coming in. And that's why tackling the the violence epidemic in the city should be top priority."
Vespa criticized last year's council infighting over the mayor's trademark of the "SAFE-T Network" term, and said the council should have funded the Cure Violence assessment recommended by that working group. The assessment was ultimately spearheaded by the Peoria City/County Health Department, though city COVID-19 relief dollars were allocated towards funding it.
Vespa said he's also an advocate for police transparency measures like body cameras and community policing strategies. He said he's also open to different ideas on increasing public safety staffing levels.
Vespa said recreational cannabis could play a role in funding public safety. He said he's opposed to a moratorium on new dispensaries, and believes Peoria has room for three or four.
"If there's going to be use, and there is, then it can help fund our fire departments, police departments, basic city services," he said. "So yeah, I mean, I disagree with some of the current thoughts."
Vespa said he also supports economic incentives for developers to open grocery stores in food deserts like the South Side and East Bluff.
He said he believes he could work with other members of the city council to get things done for Peoria.
"I'm a consensus builder. You know, I do have my viewpoints. I'm not gonna apologize for what I think. But, you know, I respect other people that disagree with me. And if there are disagreements, I'm willing to work with them," Vespa said.
The election is April 4.
