WEBPAGE.
IN OTHER NEWS AND IN A QUOTE
RIPPED FROM NATIONAL HEADLINES,
"MILWAUKEE IS IN THE GRIP OF THE
WORST VIOLENCE IN ITS MODERN
HISTORY," WROTE THE "L.A.
TIMES."
VIOLENT CRIME IS ON THE RISE
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IN MILWAUKEE, AFTER A MASS
SHOOTING THAT KILLED SIX PEOPLE
LAST MONTH, THE MEDICAL EXAMINER
THERE SAYS THE CITY IS ON PACE
TO SEE 300 HOMICIDES THIS YEAR,
AFTER A RECORD 197 HOMICIDES
LAST YEAR.
THE MILWAUKEE HEALTH DEPARTMENT
HAS AN OFFICE OF VIOLENCE
PREVENTION, AND IN PARTICULAR,
ONE MAN SERVES AS THE COMMUNITY
INJURY AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION
MANAGER FOR THAT OFFICE.
JAMAAL SMITH JOINS US NOW.
AND THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> SO FROM OUR COMFORTABLE PERCH
HERE IN A STUDIO IN MADISON, PUT
US IN THE HEAD OF PEOPLE LIVING
IN THE MIDST AND EVEN
PERPETRATING THIS VIOLENCE, WHY
IS IT ESCALATING AT SUCH
ALARMING RATES?
>> YES, GREAT QUESTION.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE NOT WEIGHING,
REALLY, THE IMPACT OF THE
PANDEMIC, AND HOW THAT HAS
PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY,
PSYCHOLOGICALLY AFFECTED OUR
COMMUNITIES.
PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, MILWAUKEE
WAS ON A FOUR-YEAR HISTORIC
DECLINE, WITH EVEN 2018 AND 2019
SEEING LESS THAN 100 HOMICIDES.
AND THEN NOW ONCE THE COVID
PANDEMIC HIT, WE SUDDENLY SAW
THIS ASTRONOMICAL RISE IN
VIOLENCE.
AND WE SAW A NUMBER OF GUNS THAT
WERE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE SAW
PEOPLE WHO WERE FEELING PAIN
FROM THE PANDEMIC IN POSSESSION
OF A WEAPON THAT INFLICTS PAIN
ON OTHERS, AS WELL AS
THEMSELVES.
SO WHEN WE REALLY LOOK AT THE
IMPACT OF VIOLENCE THAT'S
HAPPENING WITHIN THE CITY OF
MILWAUKEE, IT'S REALLY JUST A
REFLECTION OF THE AMOUNT OF
PAIN, THE ANGUISH, THE
FRUSTRATION AND ANGER THAT
EXISTS FROM THE EMOTIONAL TOIL
OF THE COVID PANDEMIC AS WELL AS
A LOT OF GENERATIONAL AND
CURRENT TRAUMA THAT MANY PEOPLE
HAVE EXPERIENCED.
AND IT'S JUST BEEN EXACERBATED
THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'VE
UNFORTUNATELY SEEN THIS HISTORIC
RISE IN VIOLENCE IN THE CITY OF
MILWAUKEE.
>> YOU SPEAK TO TRAUMA AS A ROOT
CAUSE, AND TRAUMA IS BORN OF SO
MANY FACTORS CULMINATING
TOGETHER: POVERTY THAT PERVADES
EVERYTHING FROM HEALTH TO
HOUSING TO EDUCATION.
HOW CAN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT BE
EVERYTHING FOR EVERYONE?
HOW CAN YOU FIX VIOLENCE?
>> THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE
DON'T EVEN APPROACH IT AS US
DOING IT AS AN INDIVIDUAL
ENTITY.
WE MAY BE THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE
PREVENTION, BUT EVERYONE IS PART
OF PREVENTION EFFORTS.
WHETHER THAT'S BUSINESS
EXECUTIVES, MPD OR SHERIFF'S
DEPARTMENT, RESIDENT
ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY-BASED
ORGANIZATIONS, GRASSROOTS,
POLICY MAKERS.
WE ARE ALL A PART OF VIOLENCE
PREVENTION EFFORTS.
THAT'S WHY OUR MISSION IS ABOUT
BRINGING TOGETHER OR
ESTABLISHING PARTNERSHIPS WITH
FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES, YOUTH,
AND OTHERS TO REALLY FOCUS ON
THE WAYS TO PREVENT VIOLENCE
WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES, RIGHT?
SO IT HAS TO BE AN ALL HANDS ON
DECK APPROACH, IT'S ALL
ENCOMPASSING, MULTI-DISPRIN
PALESTINIAN RI.
EVERYBODY IS AT THE TABLE WHEN
IT COMES TO VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
>> MEANWHILE WE TALKED EARLIER
IN OUR PROGRAM HOW EVERYTHING IS
POLITICIZED, INCLUDING VIOLENT
CRIME.
REPUBLICANS SAYING DEMOCRATS ARE
WEAK ON CRIME AND WANT TO DEFUND
POLICE, DEMOCRATS SAYING THERE
SHOULD BE POLICE REFORM AND THAT
REPUBLICANS ARE WEAK ON SOCIAL
JUSTICE.
IS THERE A WAY TO COME TOGETHER
ON THE ISSUE OF VIOLENT CRIME?
>> THERE'S A COUPLE WAYS YOU
COULD TAKE THAT.
I THINK THE FIRST IS REALIZING
THAT THE UNITED STATES IS 4% OF
THE WORLD'S POPULATION YET WE
MAKE UP 25% OF THE WORLD'S
PRISON POPULATION.
SO WE DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE IN
TERMS OF INCARCERATION.
SO THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER
DISCUSSION IN TERMS OF HOW WE
INVEST IN IMPROVING THE LIVES OF
OTHERS, WHICH THEN HELPS TO ALSO
PREVENT CRIME FROM HAPPENING.
THAT'S ONE.
BUT THEN THE OTHER ASPECT IS
THERE HAS TO BE A COLLABORATIVE
APPROACH TO THE WAY WE ADDRESS
THIS.
SO MANY TIMES WE ALWAYS FOCUS ON
WHO'S RIGHT AND WHO'S WRONG,
VERSUS HOW DO WE WORK TOGETHER
WITH THE ASPECT OF TALKING ABOUT
PREVENTION.
WE NEED EVERYBODY AT THE TABLE.
WE NEED REPUBLICANS, WE NEED
DEMOCRATS, WE NEED POLICE, WE
NEED COMMUNITY-BASED
ORGANIZATIONS.
EVERYBODY HAS TO BE AT THE TABLE
TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE
WAYS THAT WE DO PREVENTION
EFFORTS.
IT CANNOT BE JUST A ONE-OFF OR
ONE ENTITY THAT'S WORKING
TOWARDS PREVENTION.
>> WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR SOMEONE
LIKE YOURSELF WHO'S DEDICATING
YOUR LIFE TO VIOLENCE PREVENTION
TO SEE THE SURGE IN VIOLENCE IN
YOUR CITY AND ELSEWHERE?
>> IT'S MADDENING.
IT'S FRUSTRATING.
AND IT'S HURTFUL BECAUSE NOT
ONLY AS SOMEONE WHO WORKS IN THE
OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION,
BUT AS A HUSBAND AND A FATHER,
THAT CONCERNS ME AS WELL IN
TERMS OF THE PROTECTION OF MY
WIFE AND MY SON, IN ADDITION TO
MY FAMILY MEMBERS AS WELL AS
OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO IT'S REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE
FACT THAT THERE'S SO MUCH PAIN
IN THE CITY.
TO YOUR PREVIOUS QUESTION,
HAVING ARGUMENTS AND FOCUSING ON
THIS FROM A POLITICAL ASPECT,
THIS IS NOT WHAT WE NEED RIGHT
NOW.
WE REALLY NEED TO CREATE THOSE
SPACES OR FOCUS ON DEVELOPING AN
ECOSYSTEM OF COLLABORATION THAT
HELPS ADDRESS PREVENTION FROM A
PUBLIC HEALTH LENS.
AND WE WANT TO SEE BETTER IN THE
CITY.
EVERYBODY IN THE CITY WANTS TO
SEE BETTER IN THIS CITY.
IF THAT'S THE CASE AND WE ARE
ALL CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEALTH
AND THE SAFETY AND THE SANCTITY
OF THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE, THEN
ALL OF US ARE RESPONSIBLE TO SEE
THAT THAT HAPPENS.
>> WE LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE
FORCES COMING TOGETHER, AND
HELPING PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND THE
PEOPLE OF THE CITY AND THE
PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF WISCONSIN
GET SOME RESOLUTION TO THIS.
JAMAAL SMITH, THANKS VERY MUCH
AND THANKS FOR YOUR WORK.
>> ABSOLUTELY.