Milwaukee, WI
Criminal justice advocates express high hopes for Milwaukee’s new district attorney | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
District Attorney-elect Kent Lovern has made it a priority to listen to residents on the North and South sides of Milwaukee.
“What I have heard loudly and clearly is everyone wants to feel safe, and everyone wants that safety in their daily lives, and they want that for their children,” Lovern said.
At a ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 16, Lovern will be publicly recognized in his new role. With nearly 30 years of experience as a prosecutor, he’s recognized for his collaborative approach to systemic issues.
Lovern focuses on collaborations outside his office, in part, because he believes these collaborations are necessary to sustainably reduce violence and increase public safety in Milwaukee.
“I just feel like we need to better connect into one another and develop our own system of public safety – one that is really framed up as community development, economic development, educational development and the public safety comes with that,” he said.
Among Milwaukee’s large network of criminal justice advocates, many say they feel heard by Lovern.
“Kent has always been thoughtful and responsive to me,” said Emilio De Torre, executive director of Milwaukee Turners, which advocates for various criminal justice initiatives as well as those impacted by the criminal justice system.
Working together
“We can’t unring the bell of a crime, right? If somebody commits a crime, like myself, they need to be prosecuted,” said Adam Procell, who coordinates the monthly resource fair Home to Stay, for formerly incarcerated individuals reentering society. “But after that time period, when somebody gets out, he (Lovern) also understands that if we don’t provide the person with an opportunity to lead an optimal lifestyle, they’re going to have to prosecute them again for another crime.”
For Lovern, people reentering have a unique ability to lead others away from crime.
“People returning back to communities, looking to be proactive members of their community, looking for ways to help mentor young people and help instruct young people about the pitfalls and the mistakes they made – that’s a very powerful group,” he said.
Milwaukee County has the largest population of people on parole, probation or extended supervision in the state. At the end of October, nearly 13,000 people were under supervision, state correctional data show.
“On the whole, I have heard more interest in reentry across the board … than I have heard at any time in my career,” Lovern said.
Causes of crime
Lovern’s support of reentry is consistent with an overall preventive approach to crime.
He cites the relationship between drug addiction and crime as a good example.
“We’ve had a strong approach to this for some time, because right after John (Chisholm) was elected, 18 years ago, we created an early intervention unit, and that was immediately designed to offer opportunities for people to work through a criminal charge…and we’ve seen a lot of success with that.”
WISDOM, a statewide faith-based organization, wants Lovern to expand on this philosophy.
“There’s a lot of room for certainly expanding treatment alternatives to incarceration for people living with mental illness and with addiction issues, and there are many opportunities to divert more people from the system. I’m definitely optimistic that those types of programs will continue and will expand,” said Mark Rice, coordinator of WISDOM’s Wisconsin Transformational Justice Campaign.
Lovern is proud of Milwaukee’s mental health courts, which address cases involving mental health concerns, including assessments of competence and insanity pleas.
An intermediate goal the DA’s office is close to achieving, he said, is increasing the number of cases handled in these courts to 30 cases on an ongoing basis, compared to 10 cases previously.
“Somebody might come first through the police department or to the DA ‘s office, and we may be saying, ‘Look, this person isn’t really committing criminal behavior – the bigger concern here is the mental health piece,’” said Lovern.
Current crime and safety risks
Recent data from the Milwaukee Police Department show notable declines since 2023 in violent crimes, especially homicides and non-fatal shootings, and a reduction in most property crimes.
But certain violent crimes have increased since 2022, including robberies and carjackings.
“There’s no question that there is additional work that needs to be done to drive down the level of violent crime we see in this community,” Lovern said.
The problem, he added, is not evenly spread throughout the city.
A quarter of Milwaukee County homicides since 2023 occurred in only two ZIP codes.
“Everyone’s concerned about crime everywhere, but we know where the concentrations of violent crime exist,” said Lovern, adding that many residents in these neighborhoods tell him that we need “a strong response” to crime and that these “neighborhoods need to be valued.”
Limits of the office
Rice, of WISDOM, does not want fairness and justice to be lost, however.
“We still in Wisconsin incarcerate Black people at one of the highest rates in the nation,” he said. “There’s a lot of discretion up front when plea bargains are reached in terms of who gets diverted from the system and who goes in.”
Rice and others also worry about the systemic limitations of the DA’s office to address such problems.
“Jobs like the DA’s office, mayor’s office, police chief tend to be very difficult, with unforeseen pressures and inherent flaws in how they’ve been systemized over the years,” said De Torre, of Milwaukee Turners. “The real test is how a person acts and what they do within a flawed system.”
Step into North Division High School on a Monday night, and you’ll hear the sound of students playing basketball and see others playing in the game room. Three nights a week, the school turns from a place of learning into a recreation center.
North Division High School is one of eight Milwaukee high schools that host Twilight Centers, a Milwaukee Recreation program.
“Twilight Centers are meant to get teenagers off the street at night and provide a safe haven,” said Jason Blocker, Twilight Center supervisor.
Many come to the centers every night they’re open, he said.
Blocker said he sees about 50 to 60 students on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at North Division, and just as many at Washington High School of Information Technology, another Twilight Center site he supervises.
Centers are staffed with student and adult monitors who check in on students at all times. Blocker said students are often respectful of the space and stick to their activities, especially with monitors around.
All kinds of fun
Students in the mood for more relaxing activities can go to the game room to play video games on the Xbox or PlayStation, or air hockey and pool. Students also have access to computers to do homework, look for jobs and safely browse the internet.
North Division’s pool is also open for swimming during Twilight Center hours. Two student lifeguards monitor swimmers at all times.
Blocker said the pool at Washington is under renovation, so those wishing to swim should go to North Division’s Twilight Center.
Centers offer snacks like chocolate milk, cheese sticks and crackers in the cafeteria each night, Blocker said.
The center also offers different enrichment activities. If students attend enough, they get to go on a field trip at the end of the semester.
One semester, students attended a Milwaukee Bucks basketball game, Blocker said. For another, they went to Dave and Buster’s. He said about 20 students at North Division end up going on the field trip.
When it’s time to leave, Milwaukee Recreation has free bus passes to help students get home.
Where to find your local Twilight Center
This semester, most Twilight Centers are open Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Six centers serve students ages 12 to 18, and two serve ages 10 to 14.
Blocker said children of other ages can come if they’re accompanied by an adult, but snacks are limited to children and teens.
He said you must be a student to attend, but you don’t have to go to an MPS school.
If you’re an MPS student, all you need to go to a Twilight Center is your “s number,” the same number you use to get lunch, Blocker said.
Students who don’t go to MPS can provide information about their identity and age and will get a card to use on future Twilight Center visits.
This allows Milwaukee Recreation staff to identify everyone at the Twilight Center to maintain security and let parents know their child is at the center if they ask.
Twilight Centers: Ages 10 to 14
Andrew Douglas Middle School: 3620 N. 18th St.
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Bay View High School: 2751 S. Lenox St.
Friday and Saturday: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Twilight Centers: Ages 12 to 18
James Madison High School: 8135 W. Florist Ave.
Monday and Wednesday: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
North Division High School: 1011 W. Center St.
Monday and Wednesday: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Obama School of Career and Technical Education: 5075 N. Sherman Blvd.
Monday, Wednesday: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Casimir Pulaski High School: 2500 W. Oklahoma Ave.
Monday and Wednesday: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
South Division High School: 1515 W. Lapham Blvd.
Monday and Wednesday: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Washington High School of Information Technology: 2525 N. Sherman Blvd.
Monday, Wednesday: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
and Saturday: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
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MILWAUKEE – With SNAP benefits still delayed two days into November, one Milwaukee church is stepping up to help families put food on the table.
What we know:
At Holy Redeemer Institutional Church of God in Christ on the city’s north side, addressing hunger has become just as essential as Sunday worship. The church, home to roughly 2,500 members, operates the Fishes and Loaves Food Pantry – serving hundreds of families each month.
Volunteer Gabrielle Mallory says she’s motivated by faith and compassion.
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“We have to be there for each other and right now, a lot of people need help,” she said.
Mallory helps load and distribute food for those in need.
“Go to pantries, load up, and ask people if they need any food and whatever I have, I will share it with them,” she said.
Pantry coordinator Tanisha Collins-Johnson says the federal government shutdown and delayed SNAP benefits is a big factor in the growing demand.
“We’re seeing an influx of people come through the door that’s in need. Children, family, seniors – you’re seeing a lot more people coming to the food pantry,” she said.
The church relies on donations from its congregation to keep the shelves stocked.
What they’re saying:
“The little you think that may not be a lot, it may be a lot in God’s hands, so bring it,” said Lead Pastor Jeremy Q. Henry. “We want to engage everyone in the community efforts here.”
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Efforts extend into the holiday season, where Holy Redeemer expects to serve more than 1,000 families across the city.
“The service never stops,” Mallory said. “This is a highly needed service right now when it comes to providing food to people that need it.”
No matter the state of the government shutdown, church leaders say the pantry will remain open every Wednesday and Sunday – continuing to make hunger relief a priority.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.
Forecast from FOX6 Meteorologist Stephanie Barichello
MILWAUKEE – A frosty and cold start to the morning, with partly sunny skies ahead this afternoon. Temperatures will top out around 50°.
Increasing clouds tonight with a chance for rain showers through early Monday morning.
Back to sunshine Monday with temperatures in the mid 50s, and similar conditions through midweek.
Cooler Thursday then a chance for rain Thursday night into Friday morning.
Today: Partly sunny.
High: 50°
Wind: SW 5-15
Tonight: Chance rain showers.
Low: 42°
Wind: SW 5-15
Monday: Showers early, then mostly sunny. Windy.
High: 56°
Wind: W 10-20
Tuesday: Partly sunny.
AM Low: 38° High: 58°
Wind: SE 5-10
Wednesday: Partly sunny.
AM Low: 46° High: 56°
Wind: NW 5-15
Thursday: Increasing clouds. Chance showers at night.
AM Low: 36° High: 52°
Wind: S 5-15
Friday: Mainly morning rain showers. Mostly cloudy.
AM Low: 46° High: 58°
Wind: NW 5-15
6-day planner
FOX6 Weather Extras
Local perspective:
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX LOCAL Mobile app
FOX Weather app
FOX Weather
Big picture view:
Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
FOX6 Weather Experts in social media
The Source: Information in this report is from the FOX6 Weather Experts and National Weather Service.
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