Minutes from the February 13, 2006  Meeting

 of the Martin Drive Neighborhood Association

 

Twenty-eight neighbors gathered at the Milwaukee Urban League Academy of Business and Science to meet and greet the police officers and support staff who work to make our neighborhood safer.  After introductions by the neighbors, Captain James Harpole presented the information about District 3 of the Milwaukee Police Department. 

Many of us were amazed that District 3 covers the area from Center to the Menomonee River, and from Marquette University to Highway 100.  We are one of seven districts in the police department.  We gain perspective when we think of the large businesses included in our district such as Marquette University, Miller Park, the Milwaukee County Zoo, Miller Brewery and Harley Davidson.

Captain Harpole complimented the Martin Drive neighborhood for the walking program, which was implemented by neighbors last summer.  He had the opportunity to join the walkers one night and realized the impact such a program had by potential elimination of rumors, neighbors getting to know each other, implementation of the talent show and the three on three basketball tournament.  He felt the program was a model for the city.  We need to thank the organizers of the walks.

Officer Tom Kupsik, who is in charge of the chronic nuisance program, has identified 20 properties in the area for the most violent people and places in District 3.  These points have the most drug arrests, the most calls for service, and the total crimes. 

District 3 had 4,000 calls for service in January.  Responding to these calls are the foot patrols, the squad patrols, the gang units, and the detectives who handle major crimes.  There is an assistant district attorney who rides with the officers in the squad patrol as of this past June.  Alderman Michael Murphy and his assistant, Jared, have a good working relationship with the police dept.  They are informed of any murders that might take place in this district. We have had three homicides in the district.  (See above for boundaries for this information.)

The Captain has a crime analysis meeting every month for District 3.  There was one in January at the church on 26th and Wisconsin.  The February one was at Washington Park Senior Center on the 15th.

Questions by neighbors were handled by any of the ten officers in attendance.  Anonymous caller information became a topic for which neighbors requested more information.  Nationally the number is 1-800-78CRIME (782-7463).  District Three Contact Guide sheets containing all the phone information needed by citizens to reach the correct department or person in the police department were made available.  If you were not at the meeting and want a copy, they will be available at the meeting in March.  We also expect that the information will be included on our Martin Drive website after the 6th of March.

          Our next meeting will be Monday, March 13th, at 6:30.  We will be planning a leader turnover, our annual meeting for May, and plans for our new budget.

Maggie B.