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.