‘It’s scary to come down here’: Increased police presence on Water St. this weekend

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) - City leaders in Milwaukee met earlier this week for an emergency meeting regarding the recent violence on Water Street. 

The Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) says they are hoping to have a larger police presence on Water St. over the next several weekends. 

The Milwaukee Community Violence Prevention Program Director Quinn Taylor says volunteers with the Promise Keepers program will be out on Water this weekend to help assist MPD. 

“We’re working very closely with MPD,” Taylor said. "We want to make sure that young people know about the curfew and whenever we can to help deescalate conflict and situations out here.”

Taylor says part of the problem is children under the age of 17 staying out past curfew, which is 11 p.m. in Milwaukee. 

“Water St. is for everyone, it’s not that young people can’t come to Water St. but we want them to know about the curfew, and we want them to be safe,” Taylor said. 

Taylor and Vaun Mayes, who is with the Promise Keepers say adults have to be held accountable as well. 

“Law enforcement is short staffed and they have a lot of resources down here,” Mayes said. “We don’t want them to necessarily pull from other areas that need that presence so that’s why we are here as a compliment and supplement.”

Sheila Lesueur lives near Water St. and says she has seen the violence on the street over the last several years. 

“I’ve been around the violent, crazy events,” Lesueur said. “That’s what made me stop coming down here so much because of the craziness.”

With the recent stretch of violence, Lesueur says she tries to stay away from Water St. when the sun goes down. 

“It’s scary to come down here,” Lesueur said. “You don’t know what’s going to go off.”