Blighted Milwaukee neighborhoods deemed 'promise zones' ahead of summer

MILWAUKEE — The city of Milwaukee has identified neighborhoods struggling with violence as "promise zones" ahead of summer so that they may receive extra attention and funding.

WUWM-FM (http://bit.ly/2r0gIkJ) reports that Milwaukee has deemed the month of May as violence prevention month. The city's promise initiative is one way community leaders are hoping to head off violent crimes that can come with warm weather.

Alderman Ashanti Hamilton says one goal is to find jobs for adolescents.

Hamilton says that the promise zones will be assigned to neighborhoods where more than 45 percent of households make less than $25,000 annually, the median household income is less than $26,000 and in some areas where more than 56 percent of the total population and more than 71 percent of children live in poverty.