The Success of Milwaukee's Neighborhood Safety Initiative

Milwaukee's Neighborhood Safety Initiative was stunningly successful, right?

Milwaukee's Mayor and Police Chief unveiled results of the Neighborhood Safety Initiative Thursday, calling the police program a huge success.

During the 4-plus months NSI was in affect, statistics show that shootings decreased 31%, armed robberies decreased 22%, and homicides decreased 20.8%. Officers also confiscated 174 firearms, many of them from felons.

Impressive.

However, that success came at a high price.

I'm not referring to the program's cost. I'm referring to the consequences of the program that police and Mayor Tom Barrett didn't mention when they bragged about the NSI's tremendous results.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports:

If you listen to the Milwaukee police, you'll hear that an intensive summer patrol effort drove down violent crime across the city.

But listen for a moment to Patrick Fiddler.

Fiddler, 62, says he has lived on the city's east side for 30 years but was never a victim of violent crime until July 28, when he was mugged around the 3300 block of N. Oakland Ave. He says during the past year three others in his small circle of friends have been robbed on east side streets - one twice - and physically assaulted.

"Maybe it's only because I'm a victim and all of a sudden I'm more aware of it, but it seems that these kinds of street crimes are becoming more prevalent here on the east side," Fiddler said. "I don't think the city, either through priorities, emphasis or budgeting, is doing enough about this."

Fiddler is among residents and aldermen who question whether the vaunted Neighborhood Safety Initiative has pushed crime from the patrols' target area into other parts of the city that previously saw little crime.

A Journal Sentinel analysis of crime statistics for the first three months of the $2.45 million initiative shows that some major crimes, such as homicide, were reduced rather than shifted to other areas. But the statistics also show that the extra patrols might not be the unqualified success that police and some city officials have portrayed.

Consider:

• Although the most serious violent crimes dropped citywide, aggravated assaults rose in 10 of Milwaukee's 15 aldermanic districts.

• In two aldermanic districts, aggravated assaults were up sharply, and both of those districts were right next to the target area for the expanded patrols.

• In one aldermanic district outside the target area, serious crime increased overall.

The NSI suddenly doesn't look like such a smashing success, does it?

At a news conference a week ago, Police Chief Nannette Hegerty and Mayor Tom Barrett said violent crime dropped citywide during the time the patrols were running, from May 20 through Sept. 30.

In a subsequent interview, Barrett suggested that the increase in aggravated assaults also could reflect the initiative's success because some of those crimes might otherwise have been homicides.

Talk about spin!

INCREASED aggravated assaults are actually a good thing! They indicate success!

I can't believe he thinks Milwaukee residents would buy that.

Barrett continues to measure the crime crisis in Milwaukee by zeroing in on the homicide rate, as if a decrease in homicides is the strongest indication of a safer city.

There's more to it than that.

Either Barrett understands that fewer homicides aren't the only measure of success and he is intentionally deflecting attention away from the spikes in crime in areas adjacent to the NSI's targeted areas; or he doesn't grasp the spreading, stubborn, epidemic nature of Milwaukee's crime crisis plague.

Either way, it's bad.

At their news conference, Hegerty and Barrett highlighted decreases in homicides, nonfatal shootings and armed robberies. But they didn't mention that aggravated assault rose 4% citywide from May 20 through Aug. 31, compared with the same period last year.

...Barrett said police told him about the increase in aggravated assaults, and he would have shared the information had he been asked.

Although he is concerned about aggravated assaults, Barrett said it is more important to highlight the 174 guns taken off the street by officers assigned to the initiative. Taking guns off the street doesn't stop violent crimes, but it means those incidents are less likely to turn into homicides or nonfatal shootings, he said.

This is an embarrassment.

Hegerty and Barrett should have leveled with the community. They should have been honest and revealed the good with the bad.

Barrett's claim that he knew about the increase in aggravated assaults but didn't share the information because he wasn't asked is so lame.

A "don't ask, don't tell" policy when it comes to crime in the city is deceptive. It is no way to lead.

"Gee, honey, I would have told you about my affair, but you didn't ask."

The following figures are truly disturbing:

Aggravated assaults actually increased more in the aldermanic districts where the patrols were concentrated, the analysis shows.

In the six districts that were at least partly within the initiative's target zone, aggravated assaults were up 5.5% By contrast, aggravated assaults rose only 2% in the nine districts that saw less - if any - of the beefed-up patrols.

Yet some of the aldermanic districts outside the target zone saw bigger increases, and the two with the biggest increases were adjacent to the target zone. In Ald. Tony Zielinski's Bay View district, aggravated assaults shot up 50%, while Ald. Mike D'Amato's east side district was the site of 21% more aggravated assaults than the previous summer.

A 50% increase in Zielinski's Bay View district?

That's enormous.

Barrett says the citywide decrease in crime proves that crime is not being shifted. But that only means the initiative's critics are wrong to claim that all central-city crime was moved to other parts of the city. As the figures show, some crime could increase in some areas while decreases elsewhere push down the citywide totals.

Zielinski said he supported efforts to increase police presence but would not comment on the numbers for his district until he could study them in greater detail.

Barrett said it was possible that a crime spree by a single criminal or gang of criminals could lead to a spike in crime in a particular neighborhood.

Barrett should quit playing around with the numbers and offering excuses.

To be sure, the NSI produced some positive results. However, while the program to tackle the crime crisis in Milwaukee was in place, there were some dramatic shifts in crime in the city, too. That's undeniable.

Furthermore, it's undeniable that Hegerty and Barrett were not forthcoming about the program's results.

If Barrett wants to argue that crime didn't shift, fine. But then he also must admit that parts of the city, such as the Bay View area, are simply becoming more dangerous and dramatically more crime-ridden.

...Barrett said he believed crime went down citywide largely because criminals got the message that police had stepped up patrols. He also said criminals could not predict where those patrols would be because the police moved frequently.

I think criminals got the message, loud and clear. They got the message to SHIFT their activities outside the areas targeted by the NSI.

The figures back that up and so does common sense.
____________________

The latest from Mayor Tom Barrett's office: THE BARRETT REPORT

Not a word about the 50% increase in aggravated assaults in the Bay View area.

Nothing.

Zip.

Zero.

Nada.

Violent Crime Up in Milwaukee for 2006

Tell me something I don't know.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Despite fewer reports of homicides and rapes, Milwaukee saw a surge in violent crime in 2006 that reflected a national trend, according to annual FBI's annual Uniform Crime Report for 2006.

Violent crime rose nationally by 1.9% and property crime dropped at the same rate from 2005 to 2006, the report says.

In Milwaukee, violent crime shot up by 28%, though homicides and rapes were down 15% and 29% respectively. Robbery (23%) and aggravated assaults (34%) were up.

Property crime increased by 17% overall, with increases in burglary (24%), theft (13%), auto theft (24%) and arson (26%).

How do Milwaukee's crime statistics reflect the national trend?

Nationally, violent crime rose by 1.9%.

In Milwaukee, it skyrocketed by 28%.

That's an enormous difference. Milwaukee smashes the national trend, not reflects it.

While police and public officials said the report mostly confirms what they already knew, they said early indications are 2007's crime numbers will be lower.

Raw numbers recorded since the Labor Day launch of the Milwaukee Police Department's Neighborhood Safety Initiative show nonfatal shootings down 22%, homicides down 9.4% and armed robberies down 3% compared with the same period last year, said Phillip Walzak, spokesman for Mayor Tom Barrett.

That's good.

However, to reflect that national trend, 2007's numbers have to plummet.

The JS article concludes with this:

This year's FBI crime report featured a more prominent message cautioning against using the data to rank or compare cities or counties. The FBI's Web site said rankings can lead to simplistic or incomplete analyses, and overlook variables that affect crime and its reporting.

Right.

We don't want some simpleton looking at the figures and getting the wrong idea about violent crime in Milwaukee.

1.9% increase nationally.

28% increase in Milwaukee.

Don't jump to conclusions due to an incomplete analysis.

Good grief.

Tony Zielinski, Curtis Sliwa, and Milwaukee's Crime Crisis

At the invitation of Alderman Tony Zielinski of the 14th District, Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa came to Milwaukee on Friday to discuss the feasibility of establishing a Guardian Angels chapter in the city.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had a story online on Friday, but it was posted at 7:03 a.m.

So while the report explained what the Guardian Angels are about and gave the day's schedule of events, there was no coverage of what was said or what happened when Sliwa was in the city.

Sliwa is visiting the city on the invitation of Ald. Tony Zielinski, who will meet with Sliwa along with Common Council President Willie Hines and Ald. Bob Donovan, head of the city's Public Safety Committee.

Today's meeting, scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at City Hall, will also include six officers from the Milwaukee Police Department's command staff and other dignitaries.

The meeting will follow with a tentative itinerary that includes a sample Angel walk-through with aldermen at S. Kinnickinnic and E. Lincoln avenues in Bay View and S. 13th St. and W. Oklahoma Ave. Later in the evening, Sliwa will start a walk-through at N. Hopkins St. and W. Villard Ave.

"The police can't be everywhere, and the Guardian Angels have shown an ability to get in touch with people in tough neighborhoods and to get the people in the community involved in trying to make a difference," said Zielinski, a proponent of stepped-up public safety efforts who has sponsored measures to add more Milwaukee police officers.

On FOX 6, Tami Hughes covered Sliwa's visit. She referred to the Guardian Angels as "the neighborhood watch kicked up a notch."

For the most part, the Guardian Angles serve as an extra set of eyes and ears for police.

Ald. Zielinski said that more than the Neighborhood Safety Initiative (NSI) needs to be done. He said, "As far as public safety is concerned, the government needs to be as proactive as possible. We need to be able to think out of the box."

Hughes reported that the police representatives didn't say much during the meeting, but they are interested in meeting with Sliwa at another time that's "more private."

At the meeting, inner city business owner John Veidal expressed his concerns about safety and community relations. He said later, "[Sliwa's] got some great ideas."

But for the Guardian Angels to work in Milwaukee, Sliwa needs volunteers and open minds.

Sliwa said, "If it is to be, it's up to me; that one person can make a difference and begin to turn things around."

I give credit to Ald. Zielinski for initiating the contact with Sliwa and looking into a Guardian Angels chapter in Milwaukee. Ald. Donovan deserves credit, too, for supporting Zielinski in this effort to tackle the crime problem in Milwaukee in an innovative way, with citizens volunteering to protect their neighborhoods.

Unlike many do nothing aldermen, Zielinski and Donovan are leading the charge against increasing crime in Milwaukee. They are pressing other city leaders to act. They aren't willing to surrender, to sit back and watch as thugs take over Milwaukee's streets.

Milwaukee Neighborhoods Safer for 3 More Weeks

Milwaukee's Neighborhood Safety Initiative was set to expire on September 8. TODAY!

Aldermen fought to keep that from happening.

They succeeded.

Extra city police patrols extended

Milwaukee city officials will delay a police class, forego equipment purchases and temporarily freeze up to 100 job vacancies to scrape together $405,000 needed to extend an anti-crime initiative that was set to expire this weekend.

Mayor Tom Barrett on Friday announced an extension through Sept. 30 of the Neighborhood Safety Initiative, which, just before Memorial Day, began putting extra overnight police patrols in some of the city's most violent neighborhoods. But the program has cost about $2 million in overtime to pay officers in other areas to cover for officers who volunteered to work the overnight patrols of the initiative.

...Speaking with reporters at City Hall, Barrett along with Common Council President Willie Hines, Ald. Michael Murphy, who heads the council's Finance & Personnel Committee, and Police Chief Nannette Hegerty all touted the success of the program as evidence why it should be extended.

He said the "highly innovative, highly effective, highly interactive patrol mission will continue in those parts of the city where our intelligence-led policing takes us."

The mayor stressed a 9.4% drop in the city's homicides, to 67 so far this year, compared to 74 at this time last year. He further noted that homicides are down 25.5% from this time in 2005, when there were 90.

Non-fatal shootings are down by 19%, and armed robberies have dropped from this time in 2006 by 3%, the mayor reported.

It's remarkable that non-fatal shootings are down significantly because it seems like there's been an intolerable level of gun violence in Milwaukee this year.

...Murphy acknowledged that the extension "does come with a heavy price tag" and will "cause some pain within our budget" but added, "Clearly we feel this is an important priority and want to continue" the extra patrols.

Throughout the summer, police have tallied the results of the extra patrols each week. For the week ending Sept. 2, police said the Neighborhood Safety Initiative produced 2,984 citizen contacts, 250 business contacts, 164 arrests and 14 recovered guns.

"We stand here today, this morning because drug dealers have been arrested. Firearms have been removed from the streets. Neighborhoods are being taken back," Hines said. "The NSI has played a significant role in making our streets safe this summer. We provide the resources and the MPD provides results."

Obviously, the NSI has helped, but I wouldn't call the streets of Milwaukee safe.

This has been a very bloody summer in the city. That's not to diminish the success of the program. Just let's not pretend it was a panacea.

Hegerty said the arrests will have longer effects.

"These are people that are probably going to go to prison for a long period of time," she said. "As we know, your worst offenders will commit multiple crimes. As these people are taken off the streets and put in jail and put in prison and incarcerated, what it does is it keeps them from committing multiple crimes."

No, no, no. A major problem is that many of these people DON'T go to prison for a long time.

They're back out on the streets and back to committing crimes.

I wonder when the Neighborhood Safety Initiative is going to expire. After all, this is just a very temporary extension.

That's so unfortunate because the additional patrols have succeeded in helping to maintain order.

Will Doyle pony up the funds to make the program permanent and keep the state's largest city from imploding?

No way. Doyle reserves such special moves for when an election is only months away.
______________________

On the issue of tackling crime in Milwaukee, Ald. Tony Zielinski has an interesting proposal.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Ald. Tony Zielinski said he's seeking another kind of anti-crime patrol, by bringing Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa to Milwaukee next week for talks on starting a local chapter of the controversial red-bereted volunteer group. That would be the third attempt at an Angels chapter here; previous versions were founded in 1982, disbanded in 1983, reconstituted in 1986 and disbanded again in 1989.

I think citizen patrols like the Guardian Angels are a good idea.

They aren't that different from block watch groups.

Block watch groups aren't controversial. The police department promotes them.

I don't know why the Journal Sentinel has a problem with Sliwa's anti-crime patrols.

Just as there are a few disreputable police officers, there can be bad Guardian Angels. That's no reason to berate the entire group. There's nothing controversial about law-abiding citizens refusing to let thugs own the streets.

People willing to volunteer to be the eyes and ears needed to ensure safety in the city and to aid authorities in crime-fighting efforts should be commended rather than looked upon suspiciously.

Some Milwaukee Guns Show NO Self-Control

Damn those ILLEGAL guns!

That must be what Mayor Tom Barrett is thinking. No doubt, he's outraged.

Actually, I don't know if the guns that caused all the trouble over the weekend in Milwaukee are ILLEGAL. I'm jumping to a conclusion that's unsubstantiated.

Let me rephrase my original statement:

Damn those guns!

I think Barrett would be on board with that.

Those awful guns carried out FIVE shootings within FIVE hours in Milwaukee.

I don't think Stephen Hargarten, chairman of the department of emergency medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin, could blame the guns' designs and lack of safety features in these cases. Federal legislation demanding standardized safety grips probably wouldn't have helped.

The details are so sketchy that it's impossible to tell, but I doubt that any of the guns in these shootings managed to get into the hands of 3-year-olds. A lack of mandatory safety features aren't the issue here.

From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

There were five shootings in five hours on Milwaukee streets between 7:50 p.m. Saturday and 12:45 a.m. Sunday, police said.

All the victims were treated for injuries and released from hospitals, and all the suspects in the shootings remain at large.

Here are the case details, according to police Capt. Timothy Burkee:

• A 35-year-old man was shot in the leg at 7:50 p.m. Saturday in the 9300 block of W. Sheridan Road.

According to police, the man was walking when he was approached by two men in a white, four-door Pontiac Grand Prix. One of the men shot the victim, and then the car drove away.

• A 63-year-old man, an employee of Asharaf Food Market, received gunshot wounds in the wrist and stomach at 8:45 p.m. Saturday.

The victim was outside the store, 3627 W. Lisbon Ave., while a 42 year-old female employee inside the store was robbed by a man and woman. The victim walked into the store after the robbery and confronted the couple, and the male robber pulled out a gun and fired a shot. Police believe the bullet fragmented, causing the double injury.

• A 25-year-old woman was shot while sitting on her front porch in the 3200 block of N. Third St. at 8:50 p.m. Saturday.

• A 39-year-old man was wounded in the cheek after he heard gunshots while he was outside in the 600 block of W. Burleigh St. at 11 p.m. Saturday.

• A 22-year-old woman was shot in the arm while outside in the 3300 block of W. Auer Ave., police said.

FIVE SHOOTINGS IN FIVE HOURS.

That's not good.

The Neighborhood Safety Initiative may be a smashing success, but there's still a lot of shooting going on.

It's unacceptable that this is happening.

These guns have NO self-control.

When will the guns learn to curb the violence?

Will the guns ever stop shooting people?

It's time for these guns to stop acting like sociopaths and start acting like civilized members of society, NOW.

The time is long overdue.

Milwaukee Stabbing and Shootings

In the span of six hours, there were at least three shootings and a stabbing on the streets of Milwaukee.

From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

* A 29-year-old woman is in custody in the stabbing of a 27-year-old man at 3:30 a.m. during a domestic incident in the 2000 block of N. 29th St., according to police.

* The latest shooting came about 3 a.m. when a 43-year-old man was shot in the street in the 2600 block of N. 34th St. He is in stable condition today at a local hospital. There is no one in custody.

* Police are also seeking a suspect in a shooting about 1 a.m. in the 2300 block of W. National Ave. A 26-year-old man was wounded on the street. He is also in stable condition.

* Investigators have a known adult male suspect they are seeking in the shooting of a 19-year-old about 9 p.m. near N. 10th and W. Nash streets last night. He received a non-life-threatening wound, police said.

Maybe it's just me, but that seems like a lot of shooting and violence in such a short amount of time.

One has to wonder what the numbers would be if not for the Neighborhood Safety Initiative.

I guess we'll find out on September 8, when the program ends.

Tom Barrett and the Neighborhood Safety Initiative

Milwaukee's Mayor Tom Barrett surfaced to make a public appearance on Monday.

He wanted everyone to know that the Neighborhood Safety Initiative has produced positive results.

Non-fatal shootings in city down 22%

An anti-crime initiative that put Milwaukee police on patrol in some of the city's most dangerous neighborhoods this summer received credit on Monday for a nearly 22% drop in non-fatal shootings as well as a decrease in overall homicides during 2007.

So far, the Neighborhood Safety Initiative is working, police and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said during a news conference outside the District 3 police station near N. 49th St. and W. Lisbon Ave.

"With the effort put forth on this initiative, the bad guys are starting to get the message: If we catch you, you are definitely going to jail," Milwaukee police Deputy Chief Brian O'Keefe said.

Barrett got a firsthand look at the program by going out on patrols with officers Saturday. The mayor and police touted drops in violent crimes as a measure of success for the $2 million program, which began just before Memorial Day and is to run through Sept. 8.

Police noted that between Jan. 6 and July 29 this year, there have been 275 non-fatal shootings, down from 351 during the same period in 2006. Those numbers are "raw" and still under review but should not change appreciably, said police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz.

Since May, 1,447 people have been arrested. Other figures included 110 firearms recovered, 50 of those involving felons possessing firearms.

Police and crime experts argue that the true measure of gun violence in a community is the total number of shootings, not homicides. That is because any shooting could become a killing, depending on a bullet's path and medical treatment.

Barrett noted that the drop in non-fatal shootings affected six of seven police districts, with the exception of No. 1, near downtown, in which there was no change. It had two shootings in each year.

"We have put dozens of police officers on the street. I think that they have been successful in helping us to reduce the violence in the city," Barrett said.

...The mayor further noted that the city's homicide year-to-date figures are down by 20 from 2005, when there were 77 homicides by July 29.

"That is still too many," he said. "I am not satisfied with the results, but I think we have to point out where we are making progress."

A couple things--

1. It should come as no surprise that more police means less crime.

2. What's going to happen on September 8, the scheduled date for the program to end?

In effect, the city is tipping off the thugs, giving them a timeline for the withdrawal of police forces. That's not good.

While it's good news that the mayor and the police can cite figures showing that the Neighborhood Safety Initiative has been effective, it's bad news that the stepped-up patrols will soon draw down.

Don't the figures reveal that the city needs those extra patrols on the streets?

Yes.

I agree with the mayor's statement that the level of violence in the city is still too high.

Since the news conference, there have been more shootings and homicides.

Ramon Spokes died early Tuesday after being shot multiple times.

A 29-year-old man was shot about 12:39 a.m. Tuesday.

A shooting that occurred about 4:19 a.m. in the 5000 block of W. Chambers St. is being investigated as accidental, according to police. A 27-year-old man was shot while sitting in the driver's seat of a car where a 28-year-old man in the backseat fired a bullet that went through the seat.

A 19-year-old man was shot at 7:40 p.m. Tuesday.

This violence, of course, is occurring with the Neighborhood Safety Initiative police patrols in place.

Milwaukee's Neighborhood Safety Initiative: Latest Numbers

Wondering how Milwaukee's Neighborhood Safety Initiative is working out?

Here are the latest numbers:

Following are the results of the Neighborhood Safety Initiative for the week ending Sunday, July 1, 2007:

2,258 citizen contacts
252 business contacts
137 total persons arrested
14 firearms recovered; 25 total weapons charges
53 total drug charges
20 curfew citations; 1 parental responsibility
156 traffic warnings
31 loud music citations
52 parking citations
3 citations for public drinking

It has been a month since the NSI began and the Milwaukee Police Department is receiving praise from those who live in the areas most affected by violent crime. One of the most telling statistics is the number of citizen and business contacts made by Milwaukee Police. These contacts not only help us build positive police-community relations, but they also have led to information that has been used to identify drug houses and other criminal activity in these areas. Additionally, the numbers for traffic, parking, loud music and public drinking represent enforcement of the quality-of-life offenses that lead people to feel frustrated and unsafe in their neighborhoods.

That's good news.

The thing is for every step forward there are a few giant leaps back.

From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A 28-year-old male was shot multiple times in the alley of the 2400 block of N. 24th St. at 12:15 a.m. this morning. The victim died at the scene, said Milwaukee police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz.

No suspects are in custody at this time.

Police are also investigating a non-fatal overnight shooting in the 2500 block of N. 2nd St.

A 51-year-old male was shot in the leg with a shotgun at 1:45 a.m., Schwartz said. The victim was treated and released.

I would like the numbers of shootings in Milwaukee, fatal and non-fatal, to be updated weekly.

I think that would be an eye-opener.

Here's an idea:

I propose that The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel publish a weekly map pinpointing shootings and homicides in the city.

I CHALLENGE the JS to do that.


Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

--John 8:32
__________________________

UPDATE: Here are details of the initiative.

Almost 1,000 people have been arrested through the Milwaukee Police Department's Neighborhood Safety Initiative, the department said in a press conference today.

The program, launched May 20, puts 100 more officers on the street every day, Chief Nannette Hegerty said. All told the effort has led to 16,172 citizen contacts, 976 arrests -- including 15 identified gang members -- 339 drug charges and the recovery of 81 guns, 90% of which were found in cars or on persons.

Citywide shootings have dropped 17.8% since the start of 2007, and Hegerty said she think the decrease is even greater in the concentrated areas of the Neighborhood Safety Initiative. The department has not identified exactly which areas get the extra overnight patrols, though officials initially said they would be areas hardest hit by violent crime.

The department cited an incident at 18th and Locust streets where NSI officers happened upon a large fight, with one suspect pointing a gun at another's head. Officers intervened and the victim fled. The shooter admitted to officers he was planning on shooting the victim.

Shootings have dropped 17.8%.

That's amazing.

I wouldn't have guessed that. The frequency of gun violence in Milwaukee seems worse than ever.

I still would like to see the Journal Sentinel do the public service of mapping the locations of shootings and homicides. Give the public a picture every week.

The local news stations could do the same. Any local media with a website could post the information.

I think it's a good idea.

Mayor Tom Barrett could have a map on his website. Since the Neighborhood Safety Initiative is producing such dramatic results, Barrett should be jumping at the chance to show residents how much safer the city is.

5:00 PM and 7:00 PM in Milwaukee

I guess this shooting on a Milwaukee street won't warrant much attention.

The 15-year-old was treated for his gunshot wound and released.

No big deal.

Police said the boy was outside and told them he saw an argument before being shot about 7 p.m. in the 1800 block of W. Meinecke Ave.

...There are no suspects in custody, according to police.

If the boy is telling the truth, he, too, was an
innocent bystander.

He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Well, I guess it depends on how you look at it, the glass half full or half empty thing.

An argument could be made that he was in the right place. The bullet didn't seriously injure him. Had he been standing a few inches from where he was, had he moved slightly differently, the boy could be in ICU right now or dead.

The point is a kid was shot out on a Milwaukee street at 7:00 PM on a Thursday evening.

On a daily basis, Milwaukee's children are being shot, as well as doing some of the shooting.

This can't continue.

Calling Mayor Tom Barrett....

The city needs to take action. The Neighborhood Safety Initiative isn't enough.

Tonight in Milwaukee at 5:00 PM, there's going to be a Peace Walk.

Members of the community are invited to join students involved in an organized Peace Walk on the city's north side tonight.

The Next Door Foundation's Leaders of Tomorrow program will team up with Greater New Birth Church's youth group to encourage a peaceful summer in the city.

The walk will begin at 5 p.m. at the Next Door Foundation, 2545 N. 29th St., and will end at Greater New Birth Church, 2207 W. Center St.

The students will be carrying signs asking for peace.

I think it's great that city kids will be taking part in this.

At the same time, I think it's terribly sad. It's sad beyond words.

These kids shouldn't need to be asking for peace.

This isn't Gaza. It's not Iraq or Sudan.

It's Milwaukee.

Milwaukee's Neighborhood Safety Initiative

So how's that highly touted Neighborhood Safety Initiative working out in Milwaukee?

Do you think Milwaukee Police Chief Nan Hegerty, Mayor Tom Barrett, and Governor Jim Doyle are planning a news conference to give the public an update?

I doubt it.

Allow me.

SEVEN SHOT IN MILWAUKEE IN 12 HOURS

A 14-year-old boy became the youngest of seven shooting victims in a day of gunfire in Milwaukee that started about noon on Sunday with the homicide of a man on the city's northwest side.

The latest shooting occurred about 12:02 a.m. today in the 3600 block of W. Clarke St. The 14-year-old teen was walking home from a party with a friend when he heard gunshots and felt pain in his right leg, according to Milwaukee police. The boy was taken to a hospital for treatment of his wound.

A short while earlier, a 41-year-old man was shot in the stomach in the 2400 block of N. 21st St. about 11:45 p.m. He went into surgery and was in critical condition but is expected to live, police said.

The shootings were among a total of six that occurred in the city throughout Sunday, including the death of a 27-year-old man about 12:15 p.m. in the 2600 block of W. Victory Lane. The man suffered two gunshot wounds to the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police continue to investigate that case as well as the other shootings. Those involved:

* A 22-year-old man who suffered gunshot wounds to the left calf and left arm in the 6900 block of N. Teutonia Ave. about 3:30 p.m. He is in stable condition. Police have identified a 22-year-old suspect but do not have him in custody yet.

* Two 18-year-old men who suffered wounds to the left forearm about 4:08 p.m. in the 2900 block of N. 28th St. They are not telling police what happened.

* A 15-year-old boy shot in the right side while walking through the neighborhood in the 500 block of E. Meinecke Ave. about 10:22 p.m. He was listed in critical condition but is expected to live, police said.

There have been no arrests in any of the shootings, police said today.

Is the Neighborhood Safety Initiative helping to squelch violence in Milwaukee?

If it is, what would the numbers of shootings be without it?

Would there have been 12 SHOOTINGS IN 12 HOURS?

Would there have been 18?

Maybe 24?

A man was gunned down about 12:15 PM on Sunday. That's known as broad daylight. Three others were shot later on Sunday afternoon.

Keep holy the Sabbath.

Of course, in some of the cases, the victims aren't cooperating with police. That's typical. It's reminiscent of the Jasmine Owens murder.

If this keeps up, it's going to be a long, bloody summer in Milwaukee.

To Tom Barrett:

Has violence in Milwaukee reached a crisis level yet?
___________________________

UPDATE:

What timing!

Just this morning the Milwaukee Police Department released results of the Neighborhood Safety Initiative!

Good news!!!

Milwaukee police today announced that during the third week of extra overnight patrols in parts of the city, they arrested 125 people, including four known gang members.

...Department spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said that numbers for the week ending Sunday showed a total of eight firearms recovered and 17 anticipated weapons charges. Officers' efforts also resulted in 40 anticipated drug charges, she said.

There were also nine curfew violations and two curfew parent responsibility violations. Officers issued 408 traffic tickets, 33 loud music tickets and two tickets for public drinking.

Impressed?

I don't know if I should be. It's hard to judge.

What were the numbers before the extra patrols were added? I'd like to compare.

It would appear that the added patrols have made progress or the department wouldn't have released this progress report.

And that brings us to some numbers that weren't released:

Figures this morning were unavailable for homicides, non-fatal shootings and armed robbery in the third week's targeted area.

Why?

Why were those figures unavailable?

All the other numbers were released. Why not the ones for homicides, non-fatal shootings, and armed robbery?

Their absence sends up a red flag.

Have the extra patrols made a difference in the number of Milwaukee's homicides, non-fatal shootings and armed robberies?

I'd like to know.

Jasmine Owens and Quagmire Milwaukee

It's always the same. There are the usual stories, columns, and editorials that follow a particularly horrific killing in Milwaukee.

In this case, they were sparked by the murder of Jasmine Owens, a four-year-old playing outside a home when she was shot in the head in a drive-by shooting.

A revelation related to Jasmine's death is that the 26-year-old who was also shot in the incident isn't cooperating with officials.

He's unwilling to offer information to investigators that would help get her murderers off the streets and bring them to justice.

In my opinion, he's guilty, too. He has blood on his hands as well. He is just as gutless, to use Mayor Tom Barrett's term, as the thugs who shot and killed Jasmine.

From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Jasmine's death was one of two homicides in the city Monday and among seven shootings overall - a level of violence that served as a grim backdrop to a Tuesday morning news conference, scheduled well in advance, at which Police Chief Nannette Hegerty announced plans for stepped-up patrols of violent neighborhoods, beginning Sunday.

"Some gutless thug decided he would solve his problem by shooting a 4-year-old girl," Mayor Tom Barrett said at the news conference. "What a tough guy. He can brag about that to all of his buddies, that he took out a 4-year-old girl."

Barrett said Hegerty's plan, the Neighborhood Safety Initiative, would put teams of police officers in cars and on the streets in city hot spots, and would "send a message to the drug dealers, gang members and the thugs: We're coming after you."

Common Council President Willie Hines, who represents the district where Jasmine lived, called for collaboration between residents and police to make the city's streets safe again.

"How we got to this point is perhaps a matter of opinion, but the action we must take is not," he said in a statement. "There is a time to build community and there is a time to strike with decisive force. When 4-year-old girls are gunned down as they sit on their front stoop, we are well past the point of relying merely on our own grass-roots community-building initiatives. We must strike fear in the hearts of criminals."

Hines is right.

Debate about how the city got to this point is beside the point right now.

What matters is taking decisive action to stop the thugs.

There should be a zero tolerance policy.

Jim Stingl outlines several of the instances of violence that have occurred in the vicinity of Jasmine's murder, on "the very same street - the 2800 block of N. 29th St. - and a one-block radius in each direction."

It's a horrible litany.

Stingl asks, "Will this madness ever end?"

There doesn't appear to be any end in sight to me.

The Journal Sentinel's editorial demands change. In general, it's a very vague piece.

Mayor Tom Barrett, Gov. Jim Doyle and Police Chief Nannette Hegerty are increasing the police presence, taking guns off the street, as they announced at a news conference Tuesday.

But much more is needed. Inner city neighborhoods must rise up and reclaim themselves. Youths must get mentors. The inner city must get an infusion of jobs.

And Jasmine's death should prompt much soul-searching.

"Soul-searching"?

This isn't a time for soul-searching. I don't think bringing in Oprah or Dr. Phil is the answer. There's no need for navel-gazing.

Step one is to get the thugs off the streets, lock them up. Concrete action is needed immediately.

That can only happen if the community assists in the effort to take back its neighborhoods.

The residents have to help, working with authorities so they can apprehend the bad guys.

This "We don't trust the police, so we don't talk" stuff is crap. That's an excuse, and a lame one.

Yes, people have suffered wrongful shootings and beatings at the hands of some abusive cops; but the police didn't shoot this four-year-old in the head. Police aren't responsible for the hundreds of shootings in Milwaukee. Some perspective is in order.

Nothing is going to change until neighborhood residents choose to end the violence by refusing to tolerate the chaos. They can do their part by cooperating with authorities.

Every person who has information related to the gunfire that killed Jasmine Ownes and still refuses to come forward is complicit in perpetuating the culture of violence that plagues the city.

They are part of the problem. Their failure to do what's right gets innocent children like Jasmine killed.

Recalling the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., "The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people."

The solution to the violence will come when the good people are no longer silent.

People are so quick to call Iraq a quagmire. Milwaukee residents don't need to look that far away. They can find a quagmire in their own backyard.

Will they surrender to the thugs?

Will they continue to sacrifice their children and allow them to become victims?

Will they demand victory and the unconditional surrender of the thugs responsible for terrorizing their neighborhoods and killing their children?

Is it an impossible, hopeless, unwinnable situation?

I think they control their destiny. The madness can end.

They can stop this seemingly endless cycle of violence and misery if that's what they want.

They can be part of the solution or they can contribute to the problem.

Nearly everyone will claim that they want the violence to stop. The question becomes: Who is willing to act to make that happen?

Mad Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett

It's not like Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett hasn't shown anger before, but he does tend to keep it in check.

When a jury found three Milwaukee police officers not guilty in the beating of Frank Jude, Jr., Barrett was mad.

He said:

"This has been a long and troubling night for our community. I am absolutely shocked and outraged by these verdicts. Mr. Jude was beaten badly and we need to hold accountable those who are responsible. This is not over."

At a meeting at Bay View High School, discussing the crime spree in the area, Barrett explained his style of leadership.

He said:

"I'm not someone who is a screamer. I don't want to flail. I don't think flailing gets us anywhere."

At that meeting, Barrett said there were two ways to approach Milwaukee's crime and violence problems.

One is to make it clear to the bad guys that "we're coming after you."

The other approach is to say "everything's out of control." He said that such a reaction to the thugs from leaders and the media and citizens serves to "encourage them."

Barrett was in full politician mode.

"Public safety is my #1 priority."

"We're never going to throw up our arms and say it's out of control because it isn't out of control."

I think it's time for Barrett to admit that IT IS OUT OF CONTROL.

This morning when Police Chief Nan Hegerty announced the Neighborhood Safety Initiative, she was accompanied by Mayor Tom Barrett and Governor Jim Doyle.

A day after a 4-year-old girl was fatally shot in the head, the Milwaukee police chief said she would increase patrols this summer in high-violence areas and the mayor had harsh words for the shooter.

"Some gutless thug decided he would solve his problem by shooting a 4-year-old girl," said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said at a news conference Tuesday. "Boy, what a tough guy to shoot a 4-year-old girl. He can brag about that to all his buddies."

It came a day after a Jasmine Owens was killed in an apparent drive-by shooting as she was playing on the sidewalk in front of her home on a warm evening and a 25-year-old man was fatally shot in the chest in another part of the city.

Milwaukee Police Chief Nan Hegerty said the announcement had been planned before the latest shootings.

The Neighborhood Safety Initiative will put an unspecified number of uniformed officers on the streets from May 20 to Sept. 8, Hegerty said.

Barrett said the initiative would send a message to drug dealers and gang members: "We're coming after you. We're going to catch you. We are going to make this a safe city this summer."

"Gutless thug" -- That's unusually tough language from Barrett.

I thinks it's completely appropriate language, but surprising coming from Barrett.

He's been saying "We're coming after you" for a long time. That's exactly what he said when addressing the public at Bay View High School.

In spite of those claims, things aren't better in the city.

Thugs rule.

Jim Doyle, for his part, was at the news conference to hand over money to help fund the Neighborhood Safe Initiative.

He wants everyone in Wisconsin to be safe. Blah, blah, blah.

Doyle has made money drops before. Last year after Milwaukee's Memorial Day weekend violence, he responded with cash. Of course, it took being shamed by Mark Green and a load of election year politics for him to react.

That was a year ago; and obviously, the efforts didn't solve the problems.

While additional funds and more officers on the streets are helpful, will it be enough?

I doubt it.

The bloody start to last summer was supposed to be the wake up call. Things were going to change. The extra funds from Madison would make a difference.

Did they make a difference?

Ask Jasmine Owens' mother.
___________________________

Read more, from the Associated Press:

The Milwaukee Police Department is reassigning some police officers to increase patrols in high crime areas and deal with potential summer violence.

The initiative follows a night of deadly shootings on the city's north and west sides.

In one shooting, 4-year-old Jasmine Owens was killed by a drive-by shooter as she jumped rope with her cousins outside.

Governor Doyle, Mayor Tom Barrett and Police Chief Nannette Hegerty held a news conference today to announce the Neighborhood Safety Initiative, which will cost more than two million dollars. Hegerty won't say how many officers will be reassigned from the city's seven districts from May 20th to September eighth.