00:00:00:00	00:00:01:02	>> We all think we know
00:00:01:02	00:00:02:19	what government is.
00:00:02:19	00:00:03:19	>> How it works
00:00:03:19	00:00:04:24	and what it does.
00:00:04:24	00:00:06:17	>> But what is it really?
00:00:06:17	00:00:07:23	What do we mean
00:00:07:23	00:00:09:02	by "government"?
00:00:09:02	00:00:10:23	>> Is it this?
00:00:10:23	00:00:12:10	>> Or this?
00:00:12:10	00:00:13:09	>> Are these people
00:00:13:09	00:00:14:13	the government?
00:00:14:13	00:00:15:25	>> Are you?
00:00:15:25	00:00:16:23	>> These are just some
00:00:16:23	00:00:17:25	of the questions we'll try
00:00:17:25	00:00:19:05	to answer for you today.
00:00:19:05	00:00:21:06	>> On Engage.
00:00:28:04	00:00:29:17	>> Hi, I'm Paloma.
00:00:29:17	00:00:30:22	>> My name's Zach.
00:00:30:22	00:00:32:08	And we're at a crime scene.
00:00:32:08	00:00:33:16	There's no police tape.
00:00:33:16	00:00:34:29	Nobody was hurt.
00:00:34:29	00:00:36:14	But property was damaged.
00:00:36:14	00:00:37:29	And the community is suffering.
00:00:37:29	00:00:39:08	>> Tagging like this makes the
00:00:39:08	00:00:40:18	whole neighborhood look bad.
00:00:40:18	00:00:41:15	A trashed neighborhood
00:00:41:15	00:00:43:07	affects everyone involved.
00:00:43:07	00:00:44:20	>> And who helps clean this up?
00:00:44:20	00:00:45:21	Neighbors?
00:00:45:21	00:00:46:23	Police?
00:00:46:23	00:00:47:24	Politicians?
00:00:47:24	00:00:48:22	>> How about all of the above?
00:00:48:22	00:00:49:25	Let's take a look
00:00:49:25	00:00:51:00	at a brand new plan
00:00:51:00	00:00:53:12	that gets everyone involved.
00:00:56:08	00:00:57:10	>> The city of Milwaukee
00:00:57:10	00:01:00:22	is a city of neighborhoods.
00:01:00:22	00:01:02:08	And some of those neighborhoods
00:01:02:08	00:01:03:22	face significant challenges
00:01:03:22	00:01:07:03	with graffiti and other crimes.
00:01:07:03	00:01:08:11	In recent years,
00:01:08:11	00:01:09:18	community groups have joined
00:01:09:18	00:01:11:07	with the police to fight crime
00:01:11:07	00:01:14:13	at the neighborhood level.
00:01:14:13	00:01:15:28	A few years ago, after the
00:01:15:28	00:01:17:20	arrest of a group of taggers,
00:01:17:20	00:01:19:26	the police, along with state
00:01:19:26	00:01:21:24	and local government, teamed up
00:01:21:24	00:01:23:08	with a non-profit group
00:01:23:08	00:01:24:17	to create a new program
00:01:24:17	00:01:26:19	called Operation Payback.
00:01:26:19	00:01:27:29	>> It all started with a group
00:01:27:29	00:01:30:04	of individuals who were arrested
00:01:30:04	00:01:31:20	for graffiti.
00:01:31:20	00:01:32:28	>> I was assigning cases.
00:01:32:28	00:01:34:21	And I had gotten one case
00:01:34:21	00:01:36:29	that was for graffiti.
00:01:36:29	00:01:38:10	>> A group of between 12 and 14
00:01:38:10	00:01:40:21	individuals who did graffiti
00:01:40:21	00:01:42:17	throughout Milwaukee.
00:01:42:17	00:01:44:04	>> Then a couple of days later,
00:01:44:04	00:01:45:16	I got two other cases
00:01:45:16	00:01:47:11	that were for graffiti.
00:01:47:11	00:01:48:12	>> Tens of thousands of dollars
00:01:48:12	00:01:50:07	worth of graffiti damage.
00:01:50:07	00:01:51:25	>> And I was looking at
00:01:51:25	00:01:53:20	what the judge had ordered.
00:01:53:20	00:01:54:28	>> The judges ordered that they
00:01:54:28	00:01:56:12	had to do community service,
00:01:56:12	00:01:58:09	250 hours, plus.
00:01:58:09	00:01:59:14	>> Where they had to remove
00:01:59:14	00:02:00:18	graffiti.
00:02:00:18	00:02:03:03	>> 250 hours is a lot of hours.
00:02:03:03	00:02:04:15	>> We didn't have resources.
00:02:04:15	00:02:05:14	How can we get this done
00:02:05:14	00:02:07:10	without resources?
00:02:07:10	00:02:08:20	And I thought to myself, wow,
00:02:08:20	00:02:09:21	this is going to take
00:02:09:21	00:02:11:27	a lot of coordination.
00:02:11:27	00:02:13:04	What do I do?
00:02:13:04	00:02:14:18	So, I got on the horn,
00:02:14:18	00:02:15:27	got on the telephone.
00:02:15:27	00:02:17:01	>> I told her that, you know,
00:02:17:01	00:02:18:00	this is something that community
00:02:18:00	00:02:19:20	partners has done in the past,
00:02:19:20	00:02:21:02	and we'd definitely be able
00:02:21:02	00:02:22:15	to help her out, you know,
00:02:22:15	00:02:24:07	help her with this project.
00:02:27:13	00:02:28:22	My name's Aaron Edwards.
00:02:28:22	00:02:29:22	I work with Safe & Sound
00:02:29:22	00:02:31:08	Community Partners.
00:02:31:08	00:02:33:16	I'm a community organizer.
00:02:33:16	00:02:34:29	Safe & Sound is an anti-crime
00:02:34:29	00:02:38:02	organization, where we basically
00:02:38:02	00:02:39:10	work off a three-pronged
00:02:39:10	00:02:41:11	approach with community,
00:02:41:11	00:02:43:20	law enforcement, and youth.
00:02:43:20	00:02:44:28	We met at a target team meeting
00:02:44:28	00:02:46:20	that we hold on a monthly basis
00:02:46:20	00:02:48:13	at all the police districts.
00:02:48:13	00:02:49:23	>> The Captain was there,
00:02:49:23	00:02:52:05	and Aaron was there, and other
00:02:52:05	00:02:54:26	community partners were there.
00:02:54:26	00:02:56:04	>> We came up with a plan
00:02:56:04	00:02:57:05	that, you know,
00:02:57:05	00:02:58:05	we'd work in partnership
00:02:58:05	00:02:59:10	with Probation and Parole,
00:02:59:10	00:03:00:25	Safe & Sound Community Partners,
00:03:00:25	00:03:02:06	the Milwaukee Police Department
00:03:02:06	00:03:04:13	to go out into the neighborhoods
00:03:04:13	00:03:05:27	and remove graffiti.
00:03:05:27	00:03:07:00	>> Alderman Bob Donovan
00:03:07:00	00:03:08:13	was in that meeting
00:03:08:13	00:03:09:18	and liked what was said.
00:03:09:18	00:03:11:07	>> We have to combine
00:03:11:07	00:03:12:18	our resources and bring everyone
00:03:12:18	00:03:14:07	to the table.
00:03:14:07	00:03:15:08	That's what's happened
00:03:15:08	00:03:16:19	with this program.
00:03:16:19	00:03:18:12	>> Despite the agencies, despite
00:03:18:12	00:03:19:26	the different departments,
00:03:19:26	00:03:21:03	we've got to get this done.
00:03:21:03	00:03:22:27	>> Together, that's where that
00:03:22:27	00:03:24:18	power of collaboration came.
00:03:24:18	00:03:26:01	>> We talked about what we would
00:03:26:01	00:03:28:29	need, who was going to do what.
00:03:28:29	00:03:31:05	>> We set up another meeting.
00:03:31:05	00:03:32:20	Worked out the details,
00:03:32:20	00:03:34:01	and just went from there.
00:03:34:01	00:03:35:13	We went full force with it.
00:03:35:13	00:03:36:23	All these organizations
00:03:36:23	00:03:37:24	coming together
00:03:37:24	00:03:40:12	and working effectively.
00:03:40:12	00:03:41:29	>> Operation Payback started
00:03:41:29	00:03:43:19	as a program for taggers
00:03:43:19	00:03:45:23	to clean up their own graffiti,
00:03:45:23	00:03:46:26	but once they were done,
00:03:46:26	00:03:48:15	the program kept going, as
00:03:48:15	00:03:50:00	other offenders with community
00:03:50:00	00:03:52:29	service hours to fill joined in.
00:03:52:29	00:03:54:19	The program also expanded
00:03:54:19	00:03:56:21	beyond cleaning up graffiti.
00:03:56:21	00:03:58:02	>> How can we make this more
00:03:58:02	00:03:59:25	than just painting out graffiti?
00:03:59:25	00:04:01:05	Somebody said, well, we can do
00:04:01:05	00:04:02:10	neighborhood cleanup, picking up
00:04:02:10	00:04:04:12	trash, as well as flyering
00:04:04:12	00:04:06:00	the neighborhoods to let the
00:04:06:00	00:04:07:19	neighbors in the area know,
00:04:07:19	00:04:08:24	you know, how these offenders
00:04:08:24	00:04:09:25	are paying back
00:04:09:25	00:04:11:11	to the community.
00:04:11:11	00:04:12:15	The offenders
00:04:12:15	00:04:14:08	report to the station.
00:04:14:08	00:04:15:10	>> Everyone did something wrong,
00:04:15:10	00:04:16:09	but you're giving back.
00:04:16:09	00:04:17:13	We also want to give back
00:04:17:13	00:04:18:17	to you.
00:04:18:17	00:04:19:20	We talk to them.
00:04:19:20	00:04:20:22	We let them know, you know,
00:04:20:22	00:04:21:24	we're here to help.
00:04:21:24	00:04:22:23	You're here to serve your
00:04:22:23	00:04:23:23	sentence, serve your community
00:04:23:23	00:04:24:23	time that the judge ordered.
00:04:24:23	00:04:25:24	>> You get out there,
00:04:25:24	00:04:26:27	we get the job done,
00:04:26:27	00:04:28:04	and we get the job done right.
00:04:28:04	00:04:29:06	>> We let them know,
00:04:29:06	00:04:30:03	kind of like the ground rules.
00:04:30:03	00:04:31:01	No cell phones.
00:04:31:01	00:04:32:07	No goofing around.
00:04:32:07	00:04:33:04	>> We let offenders know,
00:04:33:04	00:04:34:08	you did something wrong.
00:04:34:08	00:04:35:11	You're giving back
00:04:35:11	00:04:36:12	to the community
00:04:36:12	00:04:37:27	by doing community service.
00:04:37:27	00:04:38:25	But we also want to let you know
00:04:38:25	00:04:41:09	that we're giving back to you.
00:04:41:09	00:04:43:22	>> So once we have our little
00:04:43:22	00:04:45:13	talk, we load up the vehicles
00:04:45:13	00:04:46:13	with the paint supplies
00:04:46:13	00:04:47:15	and cleanup supplies.
00:04:47:15	00:04:48:28	We keep all the graffiti
00:04:48:28	00:04:50:15	removal equipment, the paint,
00:04:50:15	00:04:51:27	supplies for that,
00:04:51:27	00:04:53:15	supplies for garbage pickers,
00:04:53:15	00:04:55:13	the bags for picking up garbage,
00:04:55:13	00:04:56:20	we have it secured
00:04:56:20	00:04:58:06	at the Police Station.
00:04:58:06	00:04:59:24	As a group, the officers,
00:04:59:24	00:05:01:01	Probation and Parole officers,
00:05:01:01	00:05:02:18	and the community partners will
00:05:02:18	00:05:04:02	go to the different locations
00:05:04:02	00:05:06:08	that have the graffiti.
00:05:06:08	00:05:07:03	>> It's kind of like
00:05:07:03	00:05:08:05	the broken windows theory.
00:05:08:05	00:05:09:04	>> The broken windows theory
00:05:09:04	00:05:10:17	or philosophy is
00:05:10:17	00:05:11:29	if you leave the windows broken,
00:05:11:29	00:05:13:10	or garbage around,
00:05:13:10	00:05:14:15	it's going to expand
00:05:14:15	00:05:15:15	and it's going to get worse.
00:05:15:15	00:05:16:20	So this is fixing
00:05:16:20	00:05:17:28	the broken windows.
00:05:17:28	00:05:19:07	It's weeding out the garbage,
00:05:19:07	00:05:20:18	weeding out the graffiti,
00:05:20:18	00:05:22:10	making it look a little neater
00:05:22:10	00:05:24:00	so the undesirable element
00:05:24:00	00:05:25:19	doesn't want to be there.
00:05:25:19	00:05:26:23	We're taking care of the street
00:05:26:23	00:05:28:02	and the graffiti.
00:05:28:02	00:05:29:07	Hopefully, the owner will
00:05:29:07	00:05:30:12	take pride in their own yard
00:05:30:12	00:05:31:16	and make sure that it's
00:05:31:16	00:05:32:11	cleaned up and looks nice, too,
00:05:32:11	00:05:33:13	to get rid
00:05:33:13	00:05:35:22	of that broken window.
00:05:37:05	00:05:38:09	A lot of the offenders,
00:05:38:09	00:05:39:13	when they first come,
00:05:39:13	00:05:40:16	they're very apprehensive
00:05:40:16	00:05:41:21	in talking with the officers.
00:05:41:21	00:05:42:24	But as they come week after
00:05:42:24	00:05:43:27	week, it's interesting to see
00:05:43:27	00:05:44:27	how the offenders
00:05:44:27	00:05:46:16	are interacting with them.
00:05:46:16	00:05:48:05	We're working with offenders
00:05:48:05	00:05:49:20	who have never known the police
00:05:49:20	00:05:51:17	officers as a friend, or as
00:05:51:17	00:05:53:10	an ally, that they can go to
00:05:53:10	00:05:55:10	for resources.
00:05:55:10	00:05:56:27	>> I think that what happens,
00:05:56:27	00:05:58:13	they get to see each other
00:05:58:13	00:06:00:09	in a whole different light.
00:06:00:09	00:06:02:03	Instead of being chased,
00:06:02:03	00:06:03:08	or feeling like this is
00:06:03:08	00:06:04:09	an adversarial
00:06:04:09	00:06:05:20	type of relationship,
00:06:05:20	00:06:07:23	they're working hand-in-hand
00:06:07:23	00:06:10:09	on doing something positive.
00:06:11:19	00:06:12:25	>> A lot of these kids go out
00:06:12:25	00:06:13:26	and do this, thinking it's a
00:06:13:26	00:06:14:26	victimless crime, that they're
00:06:14:26	00:06:16:08	not hurting anybody by doing it.
00:06:16:08	00:06:17:16	>> I feel like it's a bad thing
00:06:17:16	00:06:18:21	that they done.
00:06:18:21	00:06:19:17	I feel like it's a good thing
00:06:19:17	00:06:20:14	that we're doing.
00:06:20:14	00:06:21:14	But I feel like it's bad
00:06:21:14	00:06:22:14	what they've done.
00:06:22:14	00:06:23:13	>> A lot of people could say
00:06:23:13	00:06:24:09	it's a victimless crime,
00:06:24:09	00:06:25:05	but it costs a lot of money
00:06:25:05	00:06:26:10	to clean up.
00:06:26:10	00:06:28:05	It causes a lot of people harm,
00:06:28:05	00:06:29:28	looking at this every day.
00:06:29:28	00:06:32:01	It's just not pretty.
00:06:32:01	00:06:33:29	>> That brings about, we hope,
00:06:33:29	00:06:35:17	a change in how they feel
00:06:35:17	00:06:37:10	about themselves, how they feel
00:06:37:10	00:06:39:07	about what they contributed
00:06:39:07	00:06:40:17	to the community, and maybe
00:06:40:17	00:06:41:24	change some of those behaviors
00:06:41:24	00:06:42:29	that brought them
00:06:42:29	00:06:44:11	to the Corrections system
00:06:44:11	00:06:46:20	to begin with.
00:06:48:01	00:06:49:05	>> One of our main aspects
00:06:49:05	00:06:50:09	is to go door to door
00:06:50:09	00:06:51:13	in our sectors, and talk to
00:06:51:13	00:06:52:18	the residents to see what's
00:06:52:18	00:06:53:26	going on in their blocks.
00:06:53:26	00:06:54:25	>> We go out every Tuesday
00:06:54:25	00:06:56:14	with Operation Payback,
00:06:56:14	00:06:57:22	in collaboration with the
00:06:57:22	00:06:59:04	Police Department, Probation and
00:06:59:04	00:07:01:03	Parole, and Safe & Sound.
00:07:01:03	00:07:02:01	>> We try to set up block
00:07:02:01	00:07:03:11	watches with residents.
00:07:03:11	00:07:04:28	We take in their concerns,
00:07:04:28	00:07:06:10	and then forward those
00:07:06:10	00:07:08:04	to the appropriate areas.
00:07:08:04	00:07:09:11	>> I go door to door, and
00:07:09:11	00:07:11:22	I try to speak with residents.
00:07:11:22	00:07:12:22	I knock on every door
00:07:12:22	00:07:13:25	in the area.
00:07:13:25	00:07:15:19	And I give them the information
00:07:15:19	00:07:17:03	about our agency, to start with,
00:07:17:03	00:07:18:17	Safe & Sound.
00:07:18:17	00:07:21:04	(speaking Spanish)
00:07:22:25	00:07:24:01	>> We then empower those
00:07:24:01	00:07:25:07	residents with the tools
00:07:25:07	00:07:26:16	and the know-how
00:07:26:16	00:07:27:20	on how they can handle it.
00:07:27:20	00:07:29:25	(speaking Spanish)
00:07:29:25	00:07:32:06	>> Okay.
00:07:32:06	00:07:33:16	What we did, is we came up
00:07:33:16	00:07:35:18	with several flyers
00:07:35:18	00:07:36:18	that reach out to residents
00:07:36:18	00:07:38:14	on the graffiti problem.
00:07:38:14	00:07:39:19	So, I talk to the residents
00:07:39:19	00:07:40:19	and I ask them,
00:07:40:19	00:07:41:23	have you had any problems
00:07:41:23	00:07:43:07	with graffiti on your block?
00:07:43:07	00:07:44:12	And if so, what have you done?
00:07:44:12	00:07:46:10	Have you called to report it?
00:07:46:10	00:07:47:11	>> So, by having a block watch
00:07:47:11	00:07:48:09	on your block,
00:07:48:09	00:07:49:23	you become the ears and eyes
00:07:49:23	00:07:51:01	of that neighborhood.
00:07:51:01	00:07:53:00	>> The main thing is to educate
00:07:53:00	00:07:54:08	residents on the importance
00:07:54:08	00:07:55:19	of reporting.
00:07:55:19	00:07:56:17	>> It's amazing,
00:07:56:17	00:07:57:22	we're walking the streets
00:07:57:22	00:07:58:23	picking up garbage
00:07:58:23	00:07:59:20	with the offenders.
00:07:59:20	00:08:00:22	>> Nice to meet you.
00:08:00:22	00:08:01:19	It's a good thing
00:08:01:19	00:08:02:21	you guys are doing.
00:08:02:21	00:08:03:18	>> The number of citizens that
00:08:03:18	00:08:04:16	will come up and talk to us,
00:08:04:16	00:08:05:18	and ask us what's going on,
00:08:05:18	00:08:06:18	so we can build
00:08:06:18	00:08:08:01	that relationship with them.
00:08:08:01	00:08:09:18	The main purpose is to better
00:08:09:18	00:08:11:11	equip the residents
00:08:11:11	00:08:13:12	with resources, overall quality
00:08:13:12	00:08:15:01	of life, bettering that
00:08:15:01	00:08:16:14	in the neighborhoods.
00:08:16:14	00:08:17:16	I mean, just trying to make it
00:08:17:16	00:08:19:01	a cleaner and safer place.
00:08:19:01	00:08:20:01	The one thing you want people
00:08:20:01	00:08:21:21	to know is you have folks
00:08:21:21	00:08:23:09	that are out there to help you.
00:08:23:09	00:08:24:19	And as an organizer, I'm
00:08:24:19	00:08:27:09	one of those that can do that.
00:08:27:09	00:08:28:28	>> I'm a big advocate
00:08:28:28	00:08:30:21	of city departments, other
00:08:30:21	00:08:32:04	community based organizations
00:08:32:04	00:08:33:24	working together.
00:08:33:24	00:08:35:03	I think that's certainly
00:08:35:03	00:08:37:12	the wave of the future.
00:08:37:12	00:08:38:27	>> I think it's important
00:08:38:27	00:08:40:12	for the residents to see
00:08:40:12	00:08:42:08	all the groups working together.
00:08:42:08	00:08:43:13	After all, they are the
00:08:43:13	00:08:44:22	taxpayers, but what better way
00:08:44:22	00:08:46:09	to see your local government
00:08:46:09	00:08:48:03	and police and community based
00:08:48:03	00:08:49:10	organizations working
00:08:49:10	00:08:51:21	all together for them?
00:08:51:21	00:08:54:02	We're giving back.
00:08:54:02	00:08:55:16	And you know, the offenders are
00:08:55:16	00:08:56:24	an aspect of that, where they're
00:08:56:24	00:08:58:12	giving back to the community.
00:08:58:12	00:08:59:27	>> I have seen individuals who
00:08:59:27	00:09:01:12	have come through this program
00:09:01:12	00:09:03:03	where the police have connected
00:09:03:03	00:09:04:13	them with job opportunities,
00:09:04:13	00:09:06:06	with GED and educational
00:09:06:06	00:09:07:22	opportunities.
00:09:07:22	00:09:09:14	That's important.
00:09:09:14	00:09:10:20	>> To help these offenders who
00:09:10:20	00:09:11:23	are on Probation and Parole to
00:09:11:23	00:09:13:23	be successful in the community,
00:09:13:23	00:09:15:05	to become part of the community.
00:09:15:05	00:09:16:29	>> It's been a great,
00:09:16:29	00:09:18:23	positive thing, in the fact
00:09:18:23	00:09:21:09	that we've got this relationship
00:09:21:09	00:09:23:18	we now have with the police.
00:09:23:18	00:09:25:12	That has just been enhanced
00:09:25:12	00:09:26:24	because of this.
00:09:26:24	00:09:27:29	>> I enjoy working with people
00:09:27:29	00:09:29:21	and helping them.
00:09:29:21	00:09:30:25	The reward at the end of the day
00:09:30:25	00:09:32:08	is knowing that I gave them
00:09:32:08	00:09:33:18	something that can either
00:09:33:18	00:09:34:23	better equip their life or
00:09:34:23	00:09:37:11	their situation that they're in.
00:09:37:11	00:09:38:18	Overall, just helping people,
00:09:38:18	00:09:40:17	that's my goal.
00:09:40:17	00:09:43:00	That's where my passion is.
00:09:43:00	00:09:44:15	We hope to keep moving it
00:09:44:15	00:09:45:29	forward, because it is
00:09:45:29	00:09:47:29	a very rewarding program.
00:09:47:29	00:09:49:11	It feels good
00:09:49:11	00:09:51:15	at the end of the day.
00:09:55:04	00:09:56:12	>> For more information,
00:09:56:12	00:09:57:21	visit us on the Web at:
00:09:57:21	00:10:01:11	ecb.org/engage