PRESS RELEASE: Milwaukee Police Announce Crime Decreases

Jul 29th, 2010

MILWAUKEE POLICE DEPARTMENT PRESS RELEASE: MILWAUKEE POLICE ANNOUNCE CRIME DECREASES

The scores of residents who are part of Block Watch groups and neighborhood associations are the key to crime prevention in Milwaukee. What we do together with the community matters and we can prove it.

The crime decreases in violent crime continue during this first half of 2010 – a 12.3 percent reduction in violent crime since last year and a 31 percent reduction over the last three years shows a sustainable trend. Total crime has dipped 19 percent since 2007.

We have seen powerful decreases in stolen cars – 53 percent over the past three years strongly demonstrates that the use of strategic traffic stops is making a difference.

Homicide is holding steady over the past three years – the six month numbers show at that time we were down 12 percent but after 28 days starting June 13 with no homicides, we then had 11 in 19 days.

Here is a number that may be one of the most important – we have about 500 block watches in the seven police districts in the city of Milwaukee. Those are people who don’t just shut the shades and hope it gets better – they work at making it better.

“Because of our work together, residents are able to take back their public spaces and crime cannot thrive in areas where people are gathering and where they care,” Milwaukee Police Chief Edward A. Flynn said.

Pam Frautschi is the self-proclaimed “e-mail queen” in District 1’s Murray Hill neighborhood association. She notifies everyone in the area about crime and other concerns on the east side by communicating the issues and helping to promote the safety of the neighborhood.

From Police District 5 – Anne Wilson from Hillside neighborhood association attends church on 11th & Chambers. When a Milwaukee Police Officer was shot in the line of duty protecting that area, Ms. Wilson reached out to MPD and asked if police officers could do a Roll Call in the Street. Chief Flynn, who has brought the Roll Call in the Street to Milwaukee’s neighborhoods, was proud to hold that event in front of Canaan Baptist Church to let the neighborhood know that the Milwaukee Police Department is standing with them.

Welford Sanders and Mac Weddle both work with MPD daily to improve the area directly around District 5. Both men have worked to refurbish the neighborhood with new housing and development, while also trying to educate the residents in the trades for future employment.

In District 2, community cleanups where offenders pick up garbage and abate graffiti – started with only three volunteers on the south side. Linda Zinke, Betty Baxter and Steve Espinoza got things started. Now there are more than 850 properties cleaned of graffiti and about 180 streets where garbage was picked up

Crime numbers do tell a story but the data is only one part of the story. The residents who work with the Milwaukee Police Department are a big part of the crime reductions Chief Flynn shared today.