Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman says his department is taking various steps to try to reduce domestic violence and sexual assaults in the city.
According to city statistics, the number of rapes went down %5 last year. But human trafficking cases more than doubled, and as part of Milwaukee's record number of homicides, there was an increase in murders linked to domestic disputes.
Overall, Norman says there were 6,700 reports of domestic violence or sexual assault. He says the police department is partnering with other agencies to address the problem.
"To ensure there is cooperation/communication for the cases, we are seeing enhancements to the domestic violence high-risk team. That is a consortium of different groups — the Sojourner Truth Family Peace Center, also the Department of Corrections, and the district attorney's office. Understanding there are some intervention methodologies for high-risk working with the Office of Violence Prevention, some of our culturally-sensitive agencies. Understanding there are still other avenues, other agencies that we can refer our situations to, to be even more effective when it comes to responding," Norman said.
The local efforts come as both the city and county of Milwaukee face fiscal problems and have been asking state officials for more shared revenue or a local sales tax option to cover some core programs. A response proposal from Republican legislators may come soon. WUWM asked Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley what happens to domestic violence prevention and counseling efforts if the state aid package falls short.
"The continuum of being able to provide that safety net to individuals who have been through — no matter what form of violence they've been through — it will be very difficult for us to continue to make these investments. But make no mistake. It does not mean we will leave the table, or leave the campaign or leave the individuals who have been affected by violence in some type of capacity," Crowley replied.
Crowley, Norman and others spoke at Milwaukee's 12th annual Denim Day event — an international awareness effort focused on supporting survivors of sexual assault and educating the public on all forms of sexual violence. Several local groups also took part in a one-day resource fair at the Northwest Health Center for affected individuals, but the groups say their doors are open and phone lines are staffed to provide help year-round.
Janan Najeeb, chairperson of the Milwaukee Commission on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, and President of the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition, urged victims to use the help.
"You are not alone. You are not responsible for what happened to you, and we are there to back you up," Najeeb said.
If you or someone you know is in need of help, follow these links for more resources:
City of Milwaukee Health Department
Milwaukee Health Services, Inc.
Owen's Place (St. Charles Youth and Family)
