City departments to begin training in violence prevention strategies

The Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) will today begin holding training sessions in violence prevention that city departments can take advantage of to better align their operations with the city’s adopted violence reduction initiative.

Originally a footnote in the 2020 city budget, a Common Council resolution (File #191440) was approved in January 2020 directing each City department to report the activities and strategies being used by the department to implement the recommendations of the Blueprint for Peace, the city’s official violence reduction initiative that was created by the OVP.

Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs, the author of the resolution, said it notably directs each City department to report to the Common Council its activities and strategies for implementing the Blueprint for Peace for reducing violence in Milwaukee.

“The Blueprint for Peace calls for strategic, long-term investment in improving conditions in those parts the city most impacted by violence, and the City of Milwaukee provides critical services to those areas every day, with thousands of city workers helping to provide those services,” she said. “It only makes sense that we push to make sure our departments and our workers are collaborating as partners in our all-in, city-wide effort to reduce violence. That is what this training is all about.”

Alderwoman Coggs said she and fellow Council members are looking forward to receiving the reports and updates from City departments on violence reduction and prevention activities and strategies. “The (Blueprint for Peace) is rooted in a public-health approach to preventing violence by building on Milwaukee’s assets through coordinated, comprehensive strategies, and as a city we need to fully own that approach,” she said.

The virtual training sessions kick off today (March 15) and will be held again on Thursday, March 17, as well as on March 23, March 24, March 29 and March 31. The OVP previously sent session sign-up details to the training coordinators in each city department.

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.