Cpl. AJ Silvey has a deep passion for traffic safety. With roadway fatality tragedies continuing to occur in Sedalia, Silvey knew a change had to be made. He learned about the Harrisonville CARES Coalition at the 2022 Show-Me Zero Conference. Silvey was inspired to form a similar coalition and presented the idea to the Sedalia City Council in the Fall of 2023. With unanimous support from city officials and the Chief of Police, the SAFE (Safety Advocates for Everyone) Coalition was formed. The first meeting was held in March of 2024. The coalition’s goal is to bring together local, state and federal stakeholders to identify problems and resolve them in a timely fashion, all with the Vision Zero mindset of no more traffic fatalities in their community.
What’s transpired over the last eighteen months has exceeded everyone’s expectations. The partnerships being forged, the mutual projects underway, and the sheer volume of communication have given the coalition more momentum than they could have ever hoped for. The coalition has embraced the Safe System Approach and is working toward the common goal of Vision Zero. The SAFE Coalition and the initial efforts that led to its creation were driven by Silvey’s traffic safety mentality and his sheer determination to bring all community partners together. Since the coalition’s inception in 2023, Sedalia has seen a 17% decrease in citywide crashes, which has been attributed to the dedication put forth by Silvey and the coalition.
With its partnerships and resources, the SAFE coalition has achieved many accomplishments in its short time thus far. These include a Buckle Up Phone Down event, mock crashes, bringing motivational speakers to schools, installing a radar feedback sign in school zones (granted by the Kansas City Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety), designing and implementing a new crosswalk, and implementing the SAFE Friday Initiative.