Latin Kings Gang House on Far South Side

It's so often said that crime in Milwaukee is relegated to neighborhoods on the north side and the near south side.

Mayor Tom Barrett and Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm like to say how safe most of the city is. Chisholm has called the city "remarkably safe."

While the news of police busting a Latin Kings gang house is positive, the location of the house is extremely disturbing.

From TMJ4:

Milwaukee leaders vowed to crack down on the Latin Kings and they take another step.

Police busted a Latin Kings house near 8th and Grange.

It was described as a hub for drug dealing and stolen items.

Police will release more info on those items Friday at 1:00 p.m.

Investigators believe gang members traded lawn equipment for drugs.

Police will unveil details about how they linked a home in a family neighborhood here on Milwaukee’s south side to the dangerous Latin Kings.

"It was terribly surprising," Patricia Ptak said.

It's the kind of quiet, well-kept street where Patricia Ptak wants to raise a family.

"I have two small children. There's a lot of kids in the neighborhood," Ptak said.

So you can imagine the alarm when she found out that the notoriously violent Latin Kings were trading snow blowers for drugs at a home just a few doors down the block.

"We had no idea the employees or anyone there had anything to do with the Latin Kings," Ptak said.

Clearly, the tentacles of the Latin Kings reach into so-called safe areas of Milwaukee.

Barrett and other city leaders have to quit touting Milwaukee as a remarkably safe city.

It's not. It's irresponsible for them to give residents that false impression. In the long run, it puts them at risk.

The police do deserve credit for busting the gang house. As I said, that is good news. It seems that Police Chief Ed Flynn is serious about restoring law and order in Milwaukee.

He's fighting an uphill battle because of years of neglect and inexcusable denial by the city's leaders.