State investment will help address local violence

This morning’s announcement that Governor Tony Evers is allocating $45 million of the state’s American Rescue Plan Act funds to support violence prevention efforts was a welcome one. Among the allocations were $8 million that will go directly to the City’s Office of Violence Prevention to respond to the uptick in violence and trauma with projects that take a public health approach to violence prevention.

Our Office of Violence Prevention is a tremendous asset that will only grow stronger with this influx of funding, and underscores that we must do everything we can to continue to take a balanced approach to public safety that includes investment in violence prevention and intervention, police reform, as well as a properly staffed police department.

I couldn’t agree more with Governor Evers’ sentiment that violence and its effects on kids, families, and communities are not inevitable, and I thank him for recognizing this and taking action. We still have much work to do, but together we can make Milwaukee safer.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.