Profile on Jason Bergstrand

Once I found out more about the Safe Communities goals and mission, I decided to stay involved as a regular coalition member. I am pleased I did.

I have served in the coalition for three years. For the past two years I served as co-chairperson, and I am currently serving as vice-chairperson. I have enjoyed not only seeing the coalition grow over the years, but also seeing services of the coalition become strengthened. Our Safe Communities Coalition has a good pulse on community safety issues and is respected by the community, even though the work we do is not always popular.

I have a special interest in underage drinking and youth. North Dakota unfortunately ranks number one in several areas: binge drinking among youth, youth riding in a car where the driver has used alcohol, and youth who use alcohol. With these alarming statistics, I want to use my knowledge and skills to make a meaningful difference in our community and the lives of others.

I expect our coalition will continue to make an impact in our community, and also to become a leader within the North Dakota for other programs. Over the past year and half our coalition has undertaken a great deal of re-organization. Under the wonderful leadership of our coordinator, we have begun to see many great things accomplished through the coalition. New services have been implemented and old services strengthened.

What I like about the coalition is that it provides a platform to overcome challenges and meet community issues. It allows volunteers to share ideas and come together for a common interest in order to make our community a greater and safer place to live.

The greatest challenge to the coalition is that the community needs are always greater than available resources. The Bible says it best, “the work is great but the workers are few.” Other challenges include public perception, time, and public opinion. The public sometimes perceives the coalition’s goal is prohibition, when it is simply about responsibility and safety for others. Time is always an issue. There is never enough time in the day to accomplish everything you want, or program initiatives just take too much time to get implemented. Lastly, public opinion is often tough to sway; even when our position seems so logical. “Wearing seatbelts saves lives and drinking and driving don’t mix.” Is there really a reasonable counter-argument?