MILWAUKEE — Kids, community members, and law enforcement officers packed Carmen Park Saturday for their annual ‘Safe Summer Kick-off’.
Milwaukee Police Department District 4 along with several community partners hosted the event. It was an afternoon filled with local food, music, sports, and community resources.
“Food, a couple of different brands, music. It’s all for a good time,” Officer Rainey of MPD’s 4th District smiled.
Officials said they picked Carmen Park to help prevent crime in the area. Neighbors told TMJ4 they often hear fighting at the park.
“Sometimes I hear gunshots. Grown-ups fighting, kids fighting, and just people fighting all the time,” 13-year-old London Sutton said.
Sutton said he was happy to be able to spend Saturday at the park playing basketball surrounded by so many other kids.
“It’s pretty nice,” Sutton smiled. “People get together and get along unlike what happens most times.”
This event comes after several shootings at parks in the past month. The latest was a shooting at Washington Park on Wednesday night that left a 17-year-old dead.
“We have to do more stuff like Washington Park. Even though it ended badly. Can you imagine all of this there? There probably would have been no incidents,” Phil Martin, a neighbor said.
He brought his nephews to Carmen Park.
“We’re just having a good time playing basketball and eating food,” smiled Myles Martin.
MPD brought their horses, faith leaders prayed, and community groups like Safe and Sound also had tables.
“This brings the community out and makes them more aware of resources. A lot of people don’t know about what’s going on in the community and what’s available to them. This is an outpouring of resources,” Tameika Robinson, another neighbor, shared.
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