Safety Concerns on East Side

Milwaukee's East Side has some concerned residents after a number of shootings, robberies, and incidents with aggressive panhandlers bring about questions of safety.

The police captain of the district shared a number of personal stories about incidents he's seen.

He said on Tuesday morning he wrestled down a panhandler who beat up an employee at the public defenders office because she refused to give him money.

Statistics show property crimes, car thefts, and armed robbery have gone way up.

Now people who live in the area are fed up, and businesses say they're suffering too.

Alderman Nik Kovac also mentioned the Office of Violence Prevention as a key player in dealing with these issues. 

The District Attorney's office has assigned a neighborhood prosecutor who can help get criminals through the system more quickly and efficiently.