By: Amira Ahles, MU Student and NWSP Intern
(Pictured Left to Right: Elliott Carson, Hassani Lucas, Savanah Brooks)
Keeping a neighborhood safe takes more than patrols; it takes people who are committed to the community. At Near West Side Partners, the safety team plays a key role in creating a safer, more connected Milwaukee.
I spoke with Hassani Lucas, Lead Safety Ambassador, Savannah Brooks, Safety Manager, and Elliott Carson, Safety Ambassador at Near West Side Partners. Each shared valuable insight into the work their team does and the role they play in supporting the community.
The Safety Team’s Mission Statement: Building a trusting relationship with neighbors, community organizations and associations, businesses, City officials, and law enforcement to decrease crime, improve perceptions of the neighborhood, and make the community a great place to live, work, and play.
Here Are The Ways They Actively Serve the Milwaukee Community:
- Collaborate with the Milwaukee University Police Department (MUPD), Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), the Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS), and property owners to address reported property issues, including illegal dumping and break-ins at vacant buildings. To effectively communicate how to make the neighborhood a safer place with resources.
- Review and evaluate new business licensing applications, determining whether to support or oppose them based on operational plans, security needs (such as cameras), and how they will benefit the community.
- Conduct regular business check-ins, inspecting both the interior and exterior of buildings to ensure lighting is functional and properties are properly maintained. Further providing access to a contractor who removes illegal dumping at no cost to the property owner, to ensure the streets are clean and safe for pedestrians and children who are playing.
- Connect residents with resources, including the Red Cross, legal aid services, and other community organizations.
- Provide residents with education about fire safety and first aid through the Red Cross organization. Additionally, providing smoke detectors for residents to install in their homes to prevent future fires.
Winter Scoop 🍦
I asked the safety team for an inside scoop on the biggest issues they’ve been facing this winter and how they’ve been tackling them head-on. Here’s what they shared:
Trash:
Trash has been one of the most persistent challenges, particularly along Wells Street. In response, the safety team has organized monthly neighborhood clean-ups in partnership with students from Marquette University and local community members. The team uses cameras as a deterrent and to help monitor problem areas. Anything captured is shared with MPD for follow-up. They also partner with MU Students & conduct weekly clean-ups in the neighborhood.
Snow:
Snow removal is another key concern, as unplowed streets and uncleared sidewalks can create hazardous conditions for both drivers and pedestrians. To address this, the safety team is actively connecting with local businesses to ensure snow is properly removed and walkways are cleared, helping residents safely navigate the Near West Side throughout the winter months. The Safety Team also uses the Click4Action app to report and track any snow issues that are reported from the Near West Side community.
Landlord Compact:
The Landlord Compact meetings are attended by Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), along with a representative from the Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS), including both residential and commercial inspectors. The safety team follows an agenda that focuses on problem properties, where MPD and DNS provide updates on calls for service and any open code violations connected to those locations. The objective of the meetings is to address problems affecting the neighborhood. These include drug activity and additional code violations. The meetings provide a space where members can develop long-term solutions.
DV Light Drops:
The safety team is scheduled with MPD every third Wednesday of the month, or sooner when incidents are reported and outreach is needed. They also partner with MPD CPU and CLO officers during pop-up events. Trends in domestic violence are tracked and shared information with the neighborhood through DV light drops to raise awareness and promote safety. Complaints from residents are noted and taken into account to critically think about ways of creating a safe, thriving neighborhood.
Safety Working Team Meetings:
Partners come together to talk through neighborhood safety concerns, share updates, and coordinate efforts. In addition, the safety team holds HIT (Homeless Intervention Team) meetings, which focus on connecting individuals experiencing homelessness with resources through coordinated outreach.
How You Can Hear From Them– Share Your Story:
Pop-Up Events:
Near West Side Partners works with MUPD to host pop-up events that highlight literacy for the Milwaukee community. This helps bring the community together, gives residents a chance to share concerns, discuss neighborhood issues, and support community literacy. This also allows community members to meet and support one another– creating a bond.
Click4Action:
The safety team at Near West Side Partners with Milwaukee Police monitors the website, Click4Action. This platform is meant to be used by anyone who can easily report a problem and bring attention to issues in their neighborhood that they want to be heard and solved. For example, residents can submit a form about snow not being plowed on their street. The form will be taken into account and resolved as soon as possible. It will then send a signal to let the resident know that their report was taken care of.
NWSP Member Highlight:
I asked Hassani Lucas to share one of the most important lessons she has learned during her three years serving on the Safety Team:
“Working as a Safety Ambassador has shown me that real safety begins with trust. When you consistently show up, listen, and treat people with dignity, you help create spaces where communities feel supported and empowered.”- Hassani Lucas
