Homicides and nonfatal shootings were down across the city in 2024 compared to 2023. Safe & Sound organizers talk about why they think things got better.
Edgar Mendez
Raised in a South Side neighborhood where he still lives, Edgar Mendez is the managing editor of the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Mendez is a proud graduate of UW-Milwaukee, where he double majored in journalism and sociology, and of Marquette University, where he earned a master’s degree in communication. He won a 2018 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award and 2014, 2017, and 2018 Milwaukee Press Club Awards for his reporting on taverns, marijuana law enforcement, and lead in water service lines. In 2008, he won a Society of Professional Journalists’ regional award for columns dealing with issues such as poverty, homelessness and racism. His writing has been published by the Associated Press, Reuters, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and other media. He has also co-authored three articles published in scholarly journals.
Posted inCommunity
Memorable story of 2024: 10 years after his death, Dontre Hamilton’s family calls for more policing reforms
A decade after her son, Dontre Hamilton, was shot and killed by a Milwaukee Police Department officer, Maria Hamilton is still fighting for change.
Posted inCommunity, gun violence
Will Wisconsin enact a red flag gun control law? The results of the recent election may not help.
Will Wisconsin be the next state to enact a red flag gun control law? Some lawmakers are optimistic.
Posted inCommunity, gun violence, Health and Wellness
‘It’s more about prevention’: Police Chief Jeffrey Norman on gun violence in city
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman talks about efforts to address gun violence in the city.
Posted inCommunity, gun violence, Public Safety
Gun violence down across state, including Milwaukee, report says
Gun violence homicides dropped by nearly 17% in Wisconsin over the first eight months of 2024 compared to the same time period in 2023, a report says.
Posted inCommunity, gun violence
Help wanted: Can the Milwaukee Police Department fix its hiring problem?
As the city risks missing mandates that require beefing up the number of police officers, the Milwaukee Police Department struggles to fill vacancies
Posted inCommunity, gun violence
Here’s where you can find free gun locks in Milwaukee
Gun locks help prevent theft, firearm injuries, and misuse. Here’s where you can get them for free in Milwaukee.
Posted inCommunity, NNS Spotlight
NNS Spotlight: New UMOS CEO determined to expand nonprofit’s impact
Nearly three decades after he first joined UMOS, Jose Martinez assumed the agency’s top post in September.
Posted inCommunity, Public Safety
Campaign urges motorists to slow down, consider impact of speeding
The City of Milwaukee recently launched “Speeding – We Can Live Without It,” a campaign that highlights stories from individuals whose lives have been impacted by reckless driving.
Posted inCommunity, Election Watch 2024
Black men in Milwaukee share their views on the election
NNS asked Black men, a key constituency in the upcoming election, who they’re voting for and why. Here is what they had to say.