First Alert Forward: Grassroots efforts to improve safety and vibrancy in Dutchtown

First Alert Forward: Grassroots efforts to improve safety and vibrancy in Dutchtown ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - This week, First Alert Forward has been looking at opportunities and challenges in neighborhoods along the southeast edge of St. Louis. One neighborhood, Dutchtown, has battled a stigma of crime and blight as community groups work to improve public safety and attract businesses. First Alert4’s Nathan Vickers sat down with John Chen and Caya Aufiero, the cofounders of the Neighborhood Innovation Center in Dutchtown. Chen and Aufiero described Dutchtown as an urban neighborhood facing challenges similar to many others in the city, including disinvestment, vacancies and crime. But they said the neighborhood is actively pursuing solutions rather than waiting for outside help. The Neighborhood Innovation Center (NIC) brings innovation district concepts to the neighborhood level, focusing on place-based entrepreneurship and community revitalization. Chen described the NIC as a center for turning ideas into pilot programs and connecting local efforts with regional and national partnerships. Safety remains the top priority for residents and businesses in the district. The Dutchtown Community Improvement District has funded a program called Connected Dutchtown, which includes a community camera network that provides free AI cameras to businesses and residents. The cameras help facilitate evidence retrieval when incidents occur. Aufiero chairs the Dutchtown CID, which has the largest footprint of any community improvement district in Missouri but operates on the smallest budget at approximately $100,000 per year. The district funds programs in three areas: safety and security, economic vitality and development, and trash abatement and beautification. The CID pays for trash pickup twice a week through Jubilee Services, collecting about 55,000 gallons of trash annually. This summer, the organization plans to launch a pilot program addressing illegal dumping based on a violence prevention model from Flint, Michigan. The program will use the existing camera infrastructure and reporting systems to identify hot spots and repeat offenders. Chen and Aufiero also discussed the evolution of Urban Eats, which opened in 2008 to address a food desert in the neighborhood. The restaurant closed during COVID-19 and reopened as a food incubator and commissary kitchen. The facility has supported dozens of food entrepreneurs, helping them test concepts in a lower-risk environment. Several businesses that started at Urban Eats have moved on to open their own brick-and-mortar locations. The cofounders emphasized the importance of collaboration with regional organizations like TechSTL and Greater St. Louis Inc. Chen described pilot programs that help small businesses learn to respond to requests for proposals from larger companies, creating opportunities for growth while meeting corporate needs to support local businesses. Chen and Aufiero said they want people to see Dutchtown not just as a place with problems but as a neighborhood where residents and organizations are building solutions. They described their approach as starting small, testing programs and scaling what works. The Dutchtown CID will host a safety summit on May 9 at 10 a.m., open to residents from any neighborhood who want to learn about tools and strategies for improving community safety. Watch the full video interview to hear more about how grassroots innovation is reshaping this St. Louis neighborhood. Copyright 2026 KMOV. All rights reserved.