Dec 18th, 2009

Who do drug dealers really fear? You. Drug dealers fear communities that do not tolerate their presence. No one should live on a block terrorized by the violence associated with a drug house. Our neighborhoods should be safe places to raise a family and operate a business.

These are unprecedented times. It is easy to feel fearful—for our jobs, our businesses and our children’s future. For some children and their families fear of crime and violence is a regular part of their lives.

I believe that we can change this through your partnership with Safe & Sound—you can help make Milwaukee safe for all of us.

Last year, partnerships with residents resulted in the reporting of 251 drug houses and 70 open air drug markets. Our staff, called Community Partners, work door-to-door in Milwaukee’s highest crime neighborhoods, connecting residents with law enforcement and other city services. Together, they identify and report crime. And, while conducting over 16,000 front porch conversations, the Community Partners reduce blight by assisting residents in bringing their properties to code, organizing block clubs and engaging adults and youth in projects to clean up vacant lots and remove graffiti.

Safe & Sound also supports 29 after-school Safe Places that engage over 20,000 youth in evidence-based programming to prevent negative behaviors such as illegal substance use, gang involvement and violence. And, our Safe Place youth develop their own youth-led crime reduction projects which teach leadership and decision-making skills. Youth gain a sense of their own power in knowing that they, too, can make a difference in the safety of their neighborhoods.

I am requesting your support to enable Safe & Sound to make Milwaukee safe for all of us.

Your contribution can and will help us reduce crime in Milwaukee by:

• Increasing the number of Community Partners who conduct front porch conversations, while building block watches, and creating positive relationships between law enforcement and residents. They stand together to drive out drug dealers and restore blighted properties. They can and have transformed neighborhoods.
• Creating new Safe Places in neighborhoods without opportunities for youth. Many Milwaukee neighborhoods have no after-school places for youth, and the youth are often unsupervised. We will work to increase the number of Safe Places for youth. We will continue to measure progress as we teach youth to avoid drugs, guns, crime and gangs and offer them the chance to develop leadership skills.

Safe & Sound is changing Milwaukee. Will you join us? Click here to donate to Safe & Sound online.

Barbara Notestein
Executive Director