The City of Milwaukee Common Council and 3rd District Alderman Alex Brower hosted a Public Safety Town Hall meeting on July 15 at the Falcon Bowl event hall.
Alderman Brower asked the Milwaukee East Side community to come together for a conversation, where community members got the opportunity to voice their opinions.
“We want to take a holistic approach because I think one of the things we’re going to find out tonight from myself and from our members or our guests here is that there is not going to be a magic solution, unfortunately, that we’re going to be able to just implement tomorrow or ready for this weekend,” Brower said.
This town hall meeting came after two acts of violence on the Lower East Side of Milwaukee back in June. After those acts of violence, Brower announced the public town hall dedicated to discussing ways to address safety concerns in the neighborhood.
“I want to say that the news and the reports don’t show the full extent of the chaos and physical violence that we’re experiencing,” said Deb, a resident of Brady Street for 20 years.
The meeting began with Brower letting the community know that if anything wasn’t answered or they had anything to share, to send his office (alex.brower@milwaukee.gov) an email.
Milwaukee leaders in attendance included:
Alongside Brower at the town hall meeting were leaders from the Milwaukee Police Department, the Office of Community Wellness and Safety and the Fire and Police Commission.
- Krissie Fung – Fire and Police Commission (FPC)
- MPD Capt. Jeremiah Jacks
- James Lewis – MPD Office of Risk Management
- MPD Capt. Rob Thiel
- Yasmine Morton – Department of Community Wellness & Safety
Yasmine Morton from the Department of Community Wellness & Safety encouraged everyone in the meeting to support local youth activities. Their department holds community activities geared towards Milwaukee youth at later times to keep them off the streets at night.
Lime Scooters Controversy
One topic of conversation from the night was concerns with Lime scooters and sidewalk safety. One resident expressed that they often see scooter riders on the sidewalk instead of using the bike lane.
Brower reminded people at the town hall that Milwaukee has a contract with Lime scooters, which is a franchise agreement that allows them to operate within the city.
“I hear from scooter riders,” Brower said, “because of the reckless driving that we have in the city, that there are scooter riders that do not feel safe to ride on our streets. I know that’s not what people want to hear, but that is what scooter riders tell me. So I’m just making sure that we’re all on the same page with facts as far as what people are thinking and why people are using the sidewalks instead of the streets.”
According to Brower, there has been no formal action to renegotiate the contract with Lime, but there has been conversation about it, and Brower supports that option. In other communities, Lime will require the rider to take a selfie every time they begin operation.
Lime scooter users are supposed to be over 18 years old, but young people in the community will use their parents’ credit cards to access the scooter.
Brower told the crowd they can email move@milwaukee.gov to report scooter issues and take a picture, noting the time and date, so they can try to track down the user.
Future technology could also allow Lime scooters to be geo-restricted from being used on the sidewalks.
Statement from Milwaukee Citizen
“I choose to live here because I love this community. I love the vibes in the area, and I want to continue to see Milwaukee grow and thrive, and I hear deeply about the city and its community. Unfortunately, over the past few years, I’ve watched my neighborhood change in ways that have become increasingly concerning. Brady Street used to be a place I enjoyed visiting. Today I intentionally avoid after certain hours because I no longer feel safe.”
“There have been a noticeable increase in crime, disorderly behavior and a general lack of respect for the community by the people that visit Brady Street. This isn’t something I’ve ever considered because of headlines. It’s something my fiance and I have experienced firsthand. Over the past three years, her car has been broken into on eight several occasions. Other neighbors have reported their car stolen. Local businesses have had large groups of people rush into their stores, steal merchandise and leave before anyone can respond. These businesses are reporting it doesn’t happen yearly, but a weekly occurrence.”
“Shootouts took place directly outside my home. More than 30 shots were fired. People shooting bullets, these are houses covered, our houses struck by a stray bullet, and the entire blockage of a war season, the amount of cars and houses that were struck by bullets.”
“As someone who cares about where I live, I worry about what this means for our city. I worry about the homeowners who invest in their savings here, and I worry about the small businesses. I worry about the residents who simply want to enjoy their neighborhood in peace, and I worry about the message we’re sending people coming to live here.”
“I don’t believe these are isolated incidents anymore, but this has become a pattern and a pattern requires action. I encourage the city to take the following practical steps. Increase police presence on Brady Street, improve lighting in common areas and proactively disperse large crowds.”
“Overall, I love this city, I love this community to improve, and I hope that we can make something together to improve this area. Thank you guys.”
-Nick Harrington, resident of Milwaukee for eight years.
What’s Next?
Another large topic of conversation was the parking lot outside the Walgreens on Brady Street. During this town hall meeting, it was revealed that the city has officially classified the lot as a nuisance, allowing officials to work with the property owner to hold it liable for security costs.
The town hall meeting went a little over time as people from the event happening afterwards began entering the space and loudly conversing. It seemed the community was satisfied with answers for now and together cleaned up chairs from the space.
The Brady Street Business Improvement District (BID #11) launched a Summer Safety Pilot Program back in June. This will be extended through Labor Day, as announced in early August.