The uptick in violent crime in Milwaukee can’t be ignored. Nor can the fear it creates. So what will it take to get it to stop? A Milwaukee man has come up with a plan. As a consultant for Milwaukee Public Schools, Tyrone Dumas helps plan for the future. So it’s no surprise when he sees the city where he was born and raised hurting – from gun violence, drug abuse and reckless driving – he’s come up with a plan for that, too.”I don’t want to surrender our city to evil ; surrender our city to the small percentage of people who think they run the city,” Dumas said. “They’re people who are willing to kill, steal, create mayhem and drive crazy and have all the rest of us be afraid of them.””You’re proposing a curfew from Memorial Day to Labor Day, security checkpoints, limiting hours of gun and liquor stores; aren’t those ideas too extreme?” WISN 12 News’ Joyce Garbaciak asked Dumas.”They are very extreme,” he replied. He shared his plan – sent via email to city leaders — with WISN 12 News. “Dear Milwaukee leadership,” he wrote. “In 1967, a curfew was imposed during the riots to get control of the streets. We need similar strategies for the Summer and Spring of 2022. I think you should impose a martial law curfew.”Dumas wants that curfew from Memorial Day to Labor Day, from 7 pm until 6 am on weekdays and from 9 pm until 6 am on weekends. People 18 and older going to school, work or church would be allowed on the streets, as would law enforcement officers.”We’ve got 12- , 13- , 14- , 15-year-olds who are out after one o’ clock in the morning,” Dumas said. “And you know they’re not out to play basketball.”He wants anybody under 18 who breaks curfew to be held at a juvenile facility overnight – not to be sent home.”You’re sending them back home to people who let them do what they want anyway,” Dumas said. “If you want to come in this life, let me show you what this life is going to give you.”Similar to the concept of sobriety checkpoints , he wants Milwaukee police to conduct what he calls security stop points – randomly checking cars for illegal guns and drugs. Yet in Wisconsin, sobriety checkpoints are not allowed. He’s also asking that the hours of liquor and gun stores be limited.”You’ ve sent this email to various city leaders,” Garbaciak said to him. “Have you gotten any response?” “No,” he said.Milwaukee Alderwoman Ch antia Lewis received the email, titled Summer Violence Solutions.”Are you afraid for the summer at all?” Garbaciak asked Lewis. “I definitely have some apprehensions about our summer,” she replied. Lewis said while she appreciates the passion behind Dumas’ ideas, she said she doesn’t think they’re very viable. Martial law curfews, she said, don’t work . “People will still be out,” she said. Holding juveniles overnight in detention centers can’t work, she said. “It’s not an option because they’re full,” Lewis said. So what will work? “I think we need to take a step back,” she said. “Instead of attacking the fruit of the issue, we need to really dig into the root of the issue.” Lewis said young people need to be shown another way. “We have to give them something to look forward to because they’ve been operating by this mantra that you only live once. So if they don’t think that they’re going to live past 16, past 18, or 21, then you’ve got a challenge getting hold of them right there.”Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson received the email, too. He said he appreciates anyone trying to present solutions, but he wants public safety that is collaborative.”Public safety – it’s not something that’s simple,” Johnson said. “It’s very complex. Before we get to the point of locking kids up or anybody up, that we have preventative measures in place to stop them from taking on the actions that harm our community in the first place. That’s what I want to focus on .””What’s the value in proposing things that are never going to happen?” Garbaciak asked Dumas.”Because you have to at least think them through,” Dumas responded. “When you have a brainstorming, for example, you throw out everything possible and then you cull them down to what you think you can actually do. And I say it’s unacceptable to me to say, ‘Well, I can’t do anything.'”In his 69 years, Dumas has done many things, working in county government, the private sector and as a community advocate.”I’m going to keep trying to advocate,” Dumas said. “But I want to advocate for those that are in grief. I want to advocate for those who have lost loved ones to some of this craziness.”So that things will get better for generations to come.”It’s our city,” he said . “Either we take it back or we’re going to be run out of here.”
MILWAUKEE —
The uptick in violent crime in Milwaukee can’t be ignored. Nor can the fear it creates. So what will it take to get it to stop? A Milwaukee man has come up with a plan.
As a consultant for Milwaukee Public Schools, Tyrone Dumas helps plan for the future.
So it’s no surprise when he sees the city where he was born and raised hurting – from gun violence, drug abuse and reckless driving – he’s come up with a plan for that, too.
“I don’t want to surrender our city to evil; surrender our city to the small percentage of people who think they run the city,” Dumas said. “They’re people who are willing to kill, steal, create mayhem and drive crazy and have all the rest of us be afraid of them.”
“You’re proposing a curfew from Memorial Day to Labor Day, security checkpoints, limiting hours of gun and liquor stores; aren’t those ideas too extreme?” WISN 12 News’ Joyce Garbaciak asked Dumas.
“They are very extreme,” he replied.
He shared his plan – sent via email to city leaders — with WISN 12 News.
“Dear Milwaukee leadership,” he wrote. “In 1967, a curfew was imposed during the riots to get control of the streets. We need similar strategies for the Summer and Spring of 2022. I think you should impose a martial law curfew.”
Dumas wants that curfew from Memorial Day to Labor Day, from 7 pm until 6 am on weekdays and from 9 pm until 6 am on weekends. People 18 and older going to school, work or church would be allowed on the streets, as would law enforcement officers.
“We’ve got 12- , 13- , 14- , 15-year-olds who are out after one o’clock in the morning,” Dumas said. “And you know they’re not out to play basketball.”
He wants anybody under 18 who breaks curfew to be held at a juvenile facility overnight – not to be sent home.
“You’re sending them back home to people who let them do what they want anyway,” Dumas said. “If you want to come in this life, let me show you what this life is going to give you.”
Similar to the concept of sobriety checkpoints, he wants Milwaukee police to conduct what he calls security stop points – randomly checking cars for illegal guns and drugs. Yet in Wisconsin, sobriety checkpoints are not allowed. He’s also asking that the hours of liquor and gun stores be limited.
“You’ve sent this email to various city leaders,” Garbaciak said to him. “Have you gotten any response?”
“No,” he said.
Milwaukee Alderwoman Chantia Lewis received the email, titled Summer Violence Solutions.
“Are you afraid for the summer at all?” Garbaciak asked Lewis. “I definitely have some apprehensions about our summer,” she replied.
Lewis said while she appreciates the passion behind Dumas’ ideas, she said she doesn’t think they’re very viable.
Martial law curfews, she said, don’t work.
“People still want to be out,” she said.
Holding juveniles overnight in detention centers can’t work, she said.
“It’s not an option because they’re full,” Lewis said.
So what will work?
“I think we need to take a step back,” she said. “Instead of attacking the fruit of the issue, we need to really dig into the root of the issue.”
Lewis said young people need to be shown another way.
“We have to give them something to look forward to because they’ve been operating by this mantra that you only live once. So if they don’t think that they’re going to live past 16, past 18, or 21, then you’ve got a challenge getting hold of them right there.”
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson received the email, too. He said he appreciates anyone trying to present solutions, but he wants public safety that is collaborative.
“Public safety – it’s not something that’s simple,” Johnson said. “It’s very complex. Before we get to the point of locking kids up or anybody up, that we have preventative measures in place to stop them from taking on the actions that harm our community in the first place. That’s what I want to focus on .”
“What’s the value in proposing things that are never going to happen?” Garbaciak asked Dumas.
“Because you have to at least think them through,” Dumas responded. “When you have a brainstorming, for example, you throw out everything possible and then you cull them down to what you think you can actually do. And I say it’s unacceptable to me to say, ‘Well, I can’t do anything.'”
In his 69 years, Dumas has done many things, working in county government, the private sector and as a community advocate.
“I’m going to keep trying to advocate,” Dumas said. “But I want to advocate for those that are in grief. I want to advocate for those who have lost loved ones to some of this craziness.”
So that things will get better for generations to come.
“It’s our city,” he said. “Either we take it back or we’re going to be run out of here.”
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