Common Council members respond to recent Milw. violence
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- It's been a violent week in Milwaukee. Since last Friday, there have been 21 shootings, seven of which ended fatally.
Among one of the places that experienced this violence was a Family Dollar store, who lost an employee during a robbery. On Tuesday, August 6th, 44-year-old William Melendez, Jr. was shot to death.
Alderman Joe Dudzik said that crimes like the one at Family Dollar make him furious.
"Any time I see someone that's truly innocent get gunned down by some nut with a gun," Dudzik said. "I guess I get a little sadder than when I find out two drug dealers duked it out and ended up shooting one another."
Dudzik echoed Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn's earlier calls for a minimum three-year prison sentence for the illegal possession of a gun.
"When the criminal is out on the street - before the ink is dry on the paperwork the police are filling out, it just doesn't do well for their morale and it really doesn't help the situation," Dudzik added.
In a statement released Friday, August 9th, Alderman Joe Davis, Sr. went further than Dudzik. The statement read in part:
"We want to spend $500,000 on police overtime, but fight not to invest the same amount in African-American men and boys who will be the target of strict law enforcement," the statement said.
Dudzik said he agreed with Davis - to an extent.
"Although I agree with him to an extent that it is something the city has to work on but to say that we haven't done anything or haven't done enough," Dudzik pondered. "How much is enough?"
Alderman Davis did not respond to FOX6's request for an interview. Earlier in the week, state lawmakers from both parties indicated they would be open to drafting tougher laws for illegal gun possession.