Community Impact Alert: Charged Drug and Gun Crimes in Milwaukee County
Safe & Sound is a non-profit anti-crime collaboration, which is part of Milwaukee HIDTA’s community intervention strategy. The Impact Community Offense Alert is a collaborative effort between the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office and Safe & Sound. The alert is distributed on a monthly basis to community stakeholders through a variety of means and provides specific information on charged drug and/or weapons offenses, including the case number, name, charges, offense address and the defendant’s next court date. Block clubs, youth leadership groups, public officials, law enforcement and a host of other community stakeholders receive the alert. Moreover, a form is provided to submit a community impact statement to the courts, enabling a voice not otherwise heard for the indirect victims of drug and gun crimes. Individual community members can describe in detail how the offender or offense has personally affected them, their block, and the community as a whole. When submitted to the courts, it provides a broader picture of the harm caused by drug and gun crimes.
In one case a known gang member and his cohorts had taken over a multi-unit building, vandalizing the property and terrorizing residents. Although none of the gang members actually lived at the property, they forced a disabled senior citizen to allow them to hang out through threats to him and other neighbors. When the gang’s leader was finally picked up on a minor drug charge, Safe & Sound community organizers worked with neighbors and youth leaders to submit community impact statements, which related the months of chaos they had endured to the courts. According to the prosecution, the statements played a significant role in describing the harm caused and resulted in the gang leader being charged the maximum sentence. The sentencing sent a clear message to the other gang members as well as area youth and residents. The neighborhood has since started a block club, held a neighborhood beautification event, and become a safer place to live.
The entire community is the victim of drug dealing and gun violence. As victims, we all have mandated rights of victims. The Impact Community Offense Alert informs the community of these crimes while providing a community voice in the prosecution of drug and gun crimes. It is just one more way in which the collaborative efforts of the Milwaukee HDITA and Safe & Sound help keep Milwaukee streets safe from drugs and guns through greater involvement of youth and residents.
