M.A. Kleen

In cities across America, the relationship between public safety and economic growth is more intertwined than most people realize. Take Rockford, Illinois, for example—a city that has long struggled with crime and its ripple effects. Many years ago, a seemingly minor incident highlighted a much larger problem.

A young man named Angel Galvan was hired to promote a video game store opening by dancing in a Super Mario costume outside the store on a busy street. One afternoon, he was attacked by two men—one recording while the other threw punches. The video, the violence, the randomness—it all sent a message: even something as harmless as street advertising wasn’t safe.

Galvan recovered and returned to work, but the damage was done, not just to him, but to the business and the city’s image. That’s what I took to calling “The Mario Effect”—how even isolated crimes can broadcast a warning signal to customers, investors, and business owners alike: Don’t come here. It’s not safe.

When Fear Kills Growth

Crime doesn’t just hurt victims. It chills the economy. Economists call this kind of impact “deadweight loss.” It’s when economic activity vanishes because the cost outweighs the benefit. A shopper decides not to stop in a store. A company cancels its plan to open a new branch. A business spends thousands on security instead of hiring or expanding.

This loss is mostly invisible and it’s difficult to measure, but it’s felt through closed businesses, higher prices, fewer jobs, and declining tax revenue and property values. In Rockford, where robberies, carjackings, and assaults became common, some businesses were hit multiple times in the same year. Others quietly disappeared.

Perception Matters as Much as Reality

Some argue that Rockford’s reputation for crime is overblown, that the numbers don’t reflect a full picture. Maybe so. But perception drives behavior. When people don’t feel safe, they don’t spend time or money in certain areas. That anxiety doesn’t need to be based on statistics to have very real consequences.

Compare Rockford’s downtown to similarly sized cities like Naperville or Aurora. A few shops, bars, and restaurants are there, but where are the crowds? Where’s the nightlife? Many locals avoid entire sections of the city. That avoidance isn’t abstract; it’s economic. It means fewer diners, shoppers, and job seekers. It means business owners questioning if it’s worth the risk to operate there at all.

What Can Be Done?

There’s no single fix, but ignoring the problem or spinning it as “just bad PR” won’t work either. If cities want to rebound, they need to treat public safety as economic development. That means:

• Visible police presence—especially in business districts and public spaces.
• Enforcement of public order laws—to ensure neighborhoods feel clean and secure.
• Lighting, maintenance, and infrastructure investment—small signs of safety and care that shape how people feel.
• Support for businesses hit hardest by crime—financial, legal, and operational help to stay open and competitive.

And perhaps most importantly, leaders must listen. When residents say they don’t feel safe, it shouldn’t be brushed off. Safety isn’t just about stats; it’s about how people experience their own community.

The Long Road to Recovery

Crime is more than a police problem—it’s a community-wide economic albatross. Every dollar spent avoiding danger is a dollar not spent building something better. Every closed store is a missed opportunity. Until cities like Rockford make safety a visible priority, recovery will remain out of reach.

The good news? Change is possible. But it starts with seeing crime for what it really is—not just a law enforcement issue, but a barrier to prosperity for everyone.