Troubling youth violence trends spark community brainstorming session; stakeholders pledge action
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Thursday night dozens of community stakeholders gathered in a church on Milwaukee's north side to talk about the recent rise in youth homicides. They say their goal is to change the narrative.
Organizers say youth violence has forced the city into a state of emergency. Concerning trends brought the overflowing crowd together, but they left invigorated and ready to effect change.
Reggie Moore is the current Director of Violence Prevention Policy at the Medical College of Wisconsin and former director of the city's Office of Violence Prevention. He told the crowd, "As a parent, the greatest threat to your child's survival right now in this country is gun violence."
Those trends are playing out in Milwaukee right now. Thursday night dozens of people packed the presentation room at Evolve Church at 76th and Acacia to talk through some solutions.
LaNelle Ramey, of MENTOR Greater Milwaukee said, "We know we are in a state of emergency."
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman went a step further, saying, "We are beyond a state of crisis. It's real right now."
The stakeholders and leaders acknowledged there are simply not enough people right now to stop all the violence. But they're urging each other to put their time where their mouth is, because as one person said, 'if they don't do it, who will?'
The meeting was structured like a working session, with breaks throughout to brainstorm action ideas.
David Muhammad, the Deputy Director at the Milwaukee County Health Department, told the crowd, "The number one killer in Milwaukee -- if it's not self-hatred -- it's definitely ego."
He said the key is cultivating personal relationships. "How do they empower you with the resources to do what you need to do in case you have to move someone out of their house? Or get someone a Section 8 voucher?"
But it was noticeable that only one young person attended a discussion about how young people are impacted by violence. That was Janiya Williams, who said later she's seen similar energy at past meetings. "It's kind of frustrating because every meeting I've gone to we've been talking about the same topics: how to change what's going on in Milwaukee."
Janiya said there are a lot of young people who are like her, demanding action. And she said she feels more confident after this meeting.
But it will take a lot of people buying in.
Chief Norman finished his remarks by telling the crowd, "I challenge each and every one of you in this room, to walk out with an action item to do something. Do something. Do something. Do something."
The organizing team is planning a follow-up meeting that would take place in roughly a month. Their goal is to have more young people at that meeting.
In the meantime, they pledge to act.