Ceasefire Sabbath Begins

Today Mayor Tom Barrett, Police Chief Ed Flynn and representatives from the Milwaukee Police Department will meet to talk about preventing violence through the Ceasefire Sabbath.

May is Milwaukee's Violence Prevention Month.

There are several events taking place over the next two weeks with the goal of reducing crime during the summer months, which is when it tends to spike. Today the police department will host a Pastors Academy for faith leaders, a program that teaches these community leaders about how the police department works. They will also partner with the community with their Adopt-A-Block project.

Just yesterday at a press conference the mayor and police chief talked about gun violence in Milwaukee, saying they need legislation to help solve the problem

Police Chief Ed Flynn said the right legislation needs to be passed to prevent criminals from getting their hands on guns. “We have got a perfect storm law of getting guns rapidly into the hands of criminals and we all, the the three of us, consistently are asking for common sense loophole closing so the law abiding can still have access to their firearms but the community is not so rapidly and heavily armed.”

The mayor’s Ceasefire Sabbath, which is held each spring, is calling upon Milwaukee’s clergy and faith-based leaders to promote a common message of peace and non-violence during their weekend services.