Violent crime declined in Milwaukee last year. But the city's police chief is concerned the trend might not continue. WUWM's Ann-Elise Henzl reports.
Police Chief Edward Flynn says violent crime – including homicide, rape and aggravated assault -- dropped nearly 13 percent from 2008 to 2009. Total crime dropped more than 7 percent.
"This city is moving in the right direction," Flynn says.
While Flynn is pleased with the progress, he's concerned about new challenges headed the city's way. That's because the state has started releasing some prisoners early, as a cost-saving measure. They're supposed to be well-behaved, non-violent prisoners. But Flynn says some of their records indicate they’re likely to re-offend.
"We have a 51-year-old individual here, who has been released on January fifth of 2010, has 33 adult arrests to his record, including charges for murder, battery, burglary, and robbery. He's consistently shown that he can't stay out of jail," Flynn says.
Flynn says it's projected that Milwaukee county will get 44 percent of the prisoners the state releases early. Mayor Tom Barrett says that means police may end up re-arresting people they've already helped send to prison.
"We cannot have a situation where the state of Wisconsin simply releases prisoners to communities like Milwaukee and shifts the burden to the local police and to the local residents because of those budget pressures," Flynn says.
Barrett plans to ask the Legislature to allocate money to Milwaukee so it can create programs to help prisoners reenter the community. Barbara Notestein will also urge the state to assist Milwaukee. She’s executive director of Safe & Sound, a Milwaukee organization that works to reduce crime in neighborhoods.
"We do not have the resources in Wisconsin to do an adequate job of helping people get an education, making sure that they leave prison unaddicted to drugs, and are prepared to hold down some kind of a job," Notestein says.
Notestein says more money is needed for programs that help offenders earn their GED and find work. She says many people who've been imprisoned can successfully return to society -- if they get the assistance they need.
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