Gun Violence Prevention

The Office of Violence Prevention focuses its efforts on reducing illegal guns through various levels, including: 

• promoting local, state, and federal gun policy that keeps guns out of criminals’ hands;
• supporting gun violence prevention programs that target at-risk populations, and promote neighborhood safety;
• conducting community outreach campaigns to create awareness about the impact of illegal guns on our community;
• facilitating action plans and projects for interested organizations and communities that want to reduce gun violence in their neighborhoods;
• building partnerships with local, state, and national experts, agencies, and communities that are working to reduce gun violence; and
• working as a resource to the City on local and national gun policy

In 2006, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and 14 others founded Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) to reduce illegal guns and gun violence in urban areas through education, legislation and coordination between government and community entities. Today, more than 620 mayors participate in the nationwide, non-partisan coalition. Mayors are one of the central figures in protecting residents and families from harm and finding innovative ways to promote public safety. Therefore, MAIG rallies mayors into one voice against illegal guns and unnecessary gun violence. As a part of the coalition, the City of Milwaukee had a Regional Coordinator in the Office of Violence Prevention, who fostered partnerships with violence prevention agencies and specialists, conducted community outreach about the impact of illegal guns and gun violence, recruited mayors across the Midwest region into the coalition, and built a network of concerned residents, local experts, and community leaders who are working to prevent and reduce gun violence in Wisconsin.

Recent Initiatives