MILWAUKEE — Walk around Wisconsin State Fair Park and you'll likely see groups in orange shirts throughout the grounds. These volunteers are part of a community-based violence prevention effort working to ensure everyone's safety at one of the state's most popular summer events.
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TMJ4 spoke with these violence interrupters who are working to address potential conflicts before they escalate, creating a more welcoming environment for families and all fairgoers.
"We're violence prevention and we're doing just that, preventing violence before it starts," said Blakc Shiffe, one of the volunteers working with community groups from around Milwaukee County.
The violence interrupters take a proactive approach, identifying potential issues early and stepping in when needed.
"If we're seeing them congregating that look like it could turn into something, we get in there, we diffuse it immediately," Shiffe said.
The volunteers come prepared to handle various situations without preconceptions about what they might encounter.
"So we just go in with an open mind, we don't know the situation but we do know what we don't want to come from the situation," Shiffe said.
These community members serve multiple roles at the fair, supporting everyone from families enjoying the festivities to law enforcement officers on duty.
"We're just here for safety, making sure everyone is having a good time," Shiffe said.
What makes these violence prevention efforts particularly effective is that volunteers come from communities across Milwaukee County, bringing established relationships and trust with them.
"We have direct entry into the communities, you know what I mean, we have relationships, we have direct access and us being here, for some people, it takes a little bit off their shoulders," Shiffe explained.
During day one of the fair, Shiffe and his group reported only one incident of violence, which was quickly resolved. State Fair officials confirmed no other issues took place.
For these violence interrupters, their mission reflects values shared by many in the community.
"We need to have fun, we need to be nonviolent," Shiffe said. "We're all we got, I mean we as a community are all we got, if we don't do it it's not going to get done."
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