New Berlin West pre-prom photo shoot location raises concerns for some
NEW BERLIN, Wis. (CBS 58) -- In New Berlin, pre-prom pictures have sparked a variety of opinions. Students plan to take their photos tomorrow together in Downtown Milwaukee, but that decision has some parents on heightened alert because of a what some see as an uptick in Milwaukee crime numbers.
Prom night lends itself to the pages of our memory books, but this year, where New Berlin West students will take pictures to remember the event is causing some controversy.
"The students get their information through this Instagram page," said Nik, a New Berlin West parent who asked that his last name be withheld.
Initially, students planned to meet up at the Boerner Botanical Gardens at Whitnall Park, but weather forecasts changed that.
"On Wednesday we get a notification one of our kids sent to us that the official location had been changed to the public library," said Nik.
The library's at 9th and Wisconsin. Just last week a bus leaving the Morgan Wallen concert at 35th and Wisconsin got caught in the middle of gunfire, elevating parents' concerns.
"These kids again, they're not gonna be magically dropped on a carpet down in front of the library. They're gonna need to drive. Some of them are gonna probably get off on 35th Street, go right down Wisconsin Avenue and these are high crime areas," said Nik.
The bus shooting happened at night, but last month a bicyclist was shot in a robbery less than two blocks from Central Library around 5 p.m.
Along with crime, it's the reckless driving and parking that has parents on-edge, saying "Lots will likely still be taken up by business people. These are high school kids, many with limited driving experience."
"Reckless driving is a problem all over the city. We see that daily on the news, and so between reckless driving and just car theft and that kind of thing, I think it was a really bad choice to choose to have this downtown," said Nik.
There are others, however, who support the choice saying, "Bad things can happen anywhere", "We have to keep living our lives" and "Milwaukee is an amazing place. You're missing out."
"Your risk tolerance for your kid might be different than mine, but I don't want to send an unaccompanied 17-year-old, my daughter, down there," said Nik.
School administrators sent a letter home saying in part, "While we appreciate the concerns parents and guardians may have related to this, it is not a school event, and it is entirely up to students and families if and where they would like to take photos prior to prom.
"The reaction from the district was equally disappointing that they said well this was a student, and they didn't even indicate that it was student government. The student government is school sanctioned, school supported. So, for the school district to say that this was just a bunch of students coming up with it, I mean that was very dishonest as well and that's been equally frustrating," said Nik.