"'Who' should start with 'you!'" Taking responsibility for your own neighborhood; could it stop the violence?
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Taking responsibility for your own neighborhood -- that's the idea behind a new effort to bring peace to Milwaukee. The push comes after yet another violent weekend. There were two homicides on Sunday, May 3rd -- and on Friday, as the month of May began, two members of the same family were killed during a fight in the street near 37th and Nash. Community activists are coming forward with a new plan to help stop the violence.
"How do you plan to really make a change in your community? How do you plan to take back your neighborhoods? We gotta get it going!" Jamaal Smith said.
Volunteers on Monday, May 4th learned how to become "peace ambassadors" in their neighborhoods from those advocating prevention over intervention.
"We often say, 'who`s gonna do something?' And I think the `who` should start with you. It`s -- you`re gonna do something," Sequanna Taylor said.
"I think it`s just important that we do more than voice our concerns -- but we be a part of the solution," Laneice McGee said.
This is a small group, but one that hopes to be the ripple that starts a wave.
"Perpetrators of crime -- they`re going. There`s no break when it comes to crime, so when it comes to us working and trying to revive our city, we can`t be on break either," Smith said.
On Sunday, Milwaukee police were on the scene of two homicides.
30-year-old Robert Echols was shot in the street near 29th and Burleigh around 2:30 p.m. He was pronounced dead on the way to the hospital. Police are searching for a known suspect.
A 24-year-old man was shot and killed Sunday evening while sitting in vehicle. It happened just after 8:30 p.m. near 44th and Wright. Police said they were looking for two people who might know more about this incident.
"We`ve gotten to the place where we don`t even know people in the neighborhood. We don`t know who they are. We don`t know their names," Taylor said.
These peace ambassadors are encouraged to get to know their neighbors. They'll be taught how to report crimes and work with the police.
For those who fear retaliation, Taylor has this to say:
"We all take on those challenges. When you want to do something worthwhile, and even though at times it may seem scary, the scarier part is not doing anything," Taylor said.
Church leaders are being encouraged to adopt their neighborhoods and patrol the streets near their church -- getting to know those who live there.
These community advocates say knowing your neighbors is the first step to taking back your block.