Milwaukee County announces violence prevention program, providing support for youth
Focus on mentoring justice-involved youth
Just a few weeks ago the basketball court at Sherman Park was surrounded by crime scene tape after a 17-year-old was shot and killed. On Wednesday, the court is where Milwaukee County officials and representatives from local organizations gathered to announce Credible Messengers, a violence prevention program aimed at providing support for youth in the community.
and last updated 2021-05-05 19:28:11-04
MILWAUKEE â Just a few weeks ago the basketball court at Sherman Park was surrounded by crime scene tape after a 17-year-old was shot and killed. On Wednesday, the court is where Milwaukee County officials and representatives from local organizations gathered to announce Credible Messengers, a violence prevention program aimed at providing support for youth in the community.
After a devastating week of violence in Milwaukee, Mayor Tom Barrett and Acting Police Chief Jeffrey Norman on Monday made one thing clear: Milwaukeeans have to find a way to steer young people away from reckless behavior.
At least 10 people were killed in homicides and three in traffic crashes between April 18 and Sunday, according to law enforcement.
Several of those incidents involved perpetrators and victims in their teens and 20s. And it’s forced officials to sound the alarm about the upcoming summer, where finding youth programming will be pivotal for the city to avoid another historically violent year.
“I’m here today to ask family, neighbors and people across the city to join us in violence reduction,” Barrett said. “It’s also time for very frank discussions with people involved in risky behaviors, as well with people who carry guns. It’s time to call out illogical and thoughtless actions, particularly violence.”
Northwestern Mutual Collaborates with City of Milwaukee to Bring COVID-19 Vaccinations to Historically Underserved Milwaukee Neighborhoods yahoo.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from yahoo.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
One year ago, Milwaukee confirmed its first case of COVID-19 and since then, in Milwaukee County, nearly 1,100 have died after contracting the virus.
“This has been a tumultuous year and a very sad year in many regards because of the loss of life. But we also know it goes way, way beyond that,” Mayor Tom Barrett said Saturday. “The loss of jobs and people who have been impacted in their living situation many have really suffered because of what’s happened over the last year.”
On Saturday, Barrett reflected on one year of fighting the coronavirus pandemic, praising individuals and organizations that stepped in to help others and sounding hopeful about the future.