MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office and the Milwaukee Police Department put out a call to action to end gun violence.
This came after a 16-year-old was shot earlier this week in Sherman Park.
“We can not continue to do this," said Milwaukee County Sheriff Denita Ball. "Even in Sherman Park in the month of July, we’ve had more calls for service — just this July — than we’ve had in a 30 day period in the last two-and-a-half-years.”
With gun violence involving youth on the rise, the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee, along with other organizations, is looking for ways to curb youth violence in the city.
Jamar Wills is the director of community engagement for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee. He spent his summers at the Boy and Girls Club as a kid, and said he takes great pride in his work with the organization as an adult.
“We are the community," said Wills. "We want all the young people to experience life — a quality of life.”
Wills said he was sad to hear that a teenager was shot in Sherman Park near the organization's Mary Ryan location. For him, it was a reminder of the continued need of reaching out to the youth.
He said he believes kids need to know they are all welcomed at the Boys and Girls club to receive educational resources and a space for sports and recreation.
“The goal is to find diversions for them," said Wills. "Provide them with resources to engage them, to figure out what it is that they would like to do with their lives. I believe that a lot of them are uncertain because they just can’t see any further than what they see currently.”
Others are also getting involved in this effort.
The Milwaukee County Division of Youth and Family started the Credible Messenger program to mentor youth in the justice system and those who may be at risk.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office and Milwaukee Police Department also encouraged the use of the Atlas One app to report suspicious activity and be alerted of public safety incidents.
Laporche Barham Kimber lost her son to gun violence in 2019. Now, she runs a grief support group called Butterfly’s Sacred Struggle for others who have experienced similar trauma.
“We have to figure out what is going on in our children’s head," said Kimber. "They face so much pressure every day through social media. Things that they are finding out about across the world. Let’s talk to them about it and maybe they will start putting these guns down.”
Despite the recent violence, Wills said he believes there are better days ahead.
“We have to see the community thrive. If the community doesn’t thrive then the community doesn’t exist,” said Wills.
He said youth gun violence is not one person’s problem to solve and hopes the entire community can recognize what they can do to change this trend.