Milwaukee leaders, police chief discuss strategy to keep long-term peace in the city

MILWAUKEE -- Leaders in the City of Milwaukee spent the Tuesday, August 16th discussing how they will keep the peace now and in the long-term in Sherman Park.

Common Council members and the Milwaukee police chief met behind closed doors Tuesday morning, August 16th -- to get brief on the unrest.

Ashanti Hamilton

Common Council President Ashanti Hamilton said they talked about sensitive issues that cannot yet be shared publicly in the event they compromise public safety.

"A lot of the stuff was tactical in nature. So you wouldn't want reveal to the people who may be watching it on TV and then respond to it," Hamilton said.

The Milwaukee Black Panthers also showed up at Hamilton's office, asking to speak with him Tuesday morning. They told Hamilton the city needs to come up with a concrete plan now to create jobs and provide quality education for the black community.

"We're here to put everyone on notice that if it doesn't change, and we can't all work together, the community is just going to change it itself," said King Rick of the Milwaukee Black Panthers.

Milwaukee Black Panthers meet with Ashanti Hamilton

On Tuesday afternoon at a ceremony for local workers who assembled the glass in the Northwestern Mutual Tower, Mayor Tom Barrett also touched on the past couple days of destruction.

Tom Barrett

"This past weekend was by far the most difficult weekend I've had as the mayor of this city," Barrett said.

Barrett said more jobs goes hand-in-hand with reducing violence and poverty in the central part of the city.

"I want this city to grow, I want this city to be safe, and I want us to close the gap, the income, inequality gap that exists," Barrett said.