Mayor Barrett Launches Violence Prevention Planning Process

MILWAUKEE – Mayor Tom Barrett announced the details of the strategic planning process to reduce violence and create healthier, safer neighborhoods in Milwaukee.

More than 100 individuals representing all parts of Milwaukee, including grassroots community partners, nonprofit agencies, faith leaders, businesses and public safety and health officials, gathered Tuesday morning to begin the creation of a community-driven violence prevention plan with help from the Prevention Institute based in Oakland, California.

“While I am committed to adequately funding the Milwaukee Police Department, it’s important to recognize that they cannot address these challenges alone,” Mayor Barrett said. “We’re getting the community involved, listening to their concerns and following up on their input. Anyone who lives and works in Milwaukee understands the importance of doing all we can to create a safer City for all.”

The plan will serve as a foundation for developing solutions and actions to heal community trauma, build resilience, and prevent multiple forms of violence.

“This is not the end of the planning process, but the beginning,” said Reggie Moore, director of the Office of Violence Prevention in the City of Milwaukee Health Department. “We’re honored and pleased to have this wide range of individuals involved in the process today.”

“We need everyone to support the work to tackle the root causes, not just the aftermath, of violence in our community,” said Commissioner of Health Bevan K. Baker. “We must invest in a safe future and I believe we have all partners at the table.”

This planning process is funded entirely by the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

“We applaud the City of Milwaukee and all of the partners for investing in this important effort,” said Cheryl Maurana of the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment at the Medical College of Wisconsin. “We are proud to bring our strategic support to this planning process and hope to provide all of the resources we can to addressing this.”

The goal is to have a draft plan completed by early spring and a public release in early summer.

About Prevention Institute (PI):

PI is a U.S.-based national non-profit center dedicated to improving community health and well-being by building momentum for effective primary prevention. Since its founding in 1997, PI’s work has been characterized by a strong commitment to community participation and the promotion of equitable health outcomes. We strive to shift the national approach to health in order to prevent disease, violence and injury before they occur. We are building a movement to transform communities to support health and safety in the first place, based in evidence and grounded in an understanding of the social and community factors that lead to wellbeing. There is a growing knowledge base of what it takes to save lives, advance community wellbeing, reduce the demand on healthcare, and save money. PI promotes collaboration across sectors to help communities build resilience and address inequities. www.preventioninstitute.org

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.