Milwaukee Police District 7 holds safety meeting amid crime concerns

MPD District 7 officers hold Crime and Safety Meeting

Milwaukee Police Department District 7 officers held a community meeting to talk about crime trends on Monday, June 16.

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee Police Department District 7 has been plagued by several deadly shootings, and a police officer was shot in the district in the past week.

What we know:

District 7 officers held a community meeting to talk about crime trends on Monday, June 16. It was a chance for community members to come face-to-face with police officers.

But during Monday's monthly crime and safety meeting, the focus of police officers and community members was more on what was being done to help unite neighbors rather than the recent violent crime.

"There isn’t one solution to the problem. So all we can do is try to come together as a community and show our support and show that we care," said Farina Brooks with Dream Team United WI. "[…] We are all willing to work together for the common cause of making our community safer and better."

Groups like Safe and Sound talked about ideas for community-based solutions, like blockwalks and talking to neighbors.

Dig deeper:

After the meeting, Alderwoman Andrea Pratt discussed the recent violence in the area of 46th and Hampton.

There have been multiple shootings over the past two weeks at the intersection, including on Thursday, when an officer was shot in the leg after exchanging gunfire with a man.

"The rate in which we’ve seen, especially in my district, which is 46th and Hampton, is unprecedented," Pratt said. "[Residents] don’t know where this is coming from – is this a group of people targeting this area?"

Alderwoman Andrea Pratt

That question remained largely unanswered by the police following Monday's meeting.

But Pratt said residents in her district are not numb to the issue.

"If I showed you my inbox and my email, everyone is calling me," Pratt said.

What's next:

Pratt did say police are concentrating on the area of 46th and Hampton, and creating more of a presence in an effort to prevent more violence from happening.