MILWAUKEE— After 21 people are shot in downtown Milwaukee over the weekend the community is left wondering what plans will be put in place to prevent this from happening again.
Reggie Moore, the Director of the Division of Violence Prevention at the Medical College of Wisconsin is at a loss for words following the shootings.
“So many lives were put at risk, and so many innocent lives were injured in this incident,” Moore said.
Moore recently met with President Joe Biden in Washington D.C. and said talks were held about American Rescue Plan Act funding and when it will be on its way to help with violence like this. However, Moore said the work wont stop there.
“There is a lot of work to be done at every level from a government love but also at a community level within our friends and family networks in our community to ensure that picking up a firearm and shooting at someone is not an effective resolution,” Moore said.
Meanwhile, Alderman Robert Bauman said the city isn’t safe during certain days and times of the week.
“Downtown is very safe except after 11 p.m. on a Friday and Saturday," Alderman Robert Bauman said. "After 11 p.m. on a Friday and Saturday, there are issues, and I would not recommend people to be out on the streets, downtown especially, in the Water street and the King Drive entertainment district at those times."
Alderman Bauman said there is a sense of urgency when it comes to a plan for keeping the community safe. While no discussions have happened just yet, the idea of security checkpoints might be brought back to the table like they were last year after a similar shooting took place outside Water Street bars.
“Does that have to be extended to the Water Street entertainment district and King Drive entertainment district?" Bauman said. "Maybe? We need to know if it’s legal, if it’s practical or effective? Does the police have the man power to staff an operation of that scale? Then what do you do with the people who you take the guns from? Are we prepared to arrest 200-500 people with guns from the night? If so, where do we put them?”
With a lot of questions still to be answered, leaders are working to get their boots on the ground to prevent more incidents like this.