By Janine Anderson
Journal Times | Posted: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 12:00 am
RACINE - The Racine, Mount Pleasant and Racine County governments have pledged money to increase police and deputies on the streets, but the city's police chief says those efforts can only help in the short term.
At a press conference Tuesday afternoon Racine Mayor Gary Becker announced the city would give the Police Department $200,000 for officer overtime to boost police presence on the streets. County Executive William McReynolds said the county will set aside $150,000 to hire two deputies and provide support for them.
Mount Pleasant will also increase overtime, to ensure officers are available for its troublesome four-block area around Mead Street at the Racine border.
"We are here to face this head-on," Racine Police Chief Kurt Wahlen said. "But the long-term solution rests on the other side of the podium."
Wahlen was flanked by
McReynolds, Racine County Sheriff Bob Carlson, Mount Pleasant Police Chief Tim Zarzecki, Racine Mayor Gary Becker and District Attorney Michael Nieskes. Mount Pleasant Village President Carolyn Milkie was also present, but remained seated throughout the press conference and did not address attendees.
In the audience were members of the media - newspapers, television and radio stations, Web sites - and members of the community, including pastors, area residents, concerned citizens and activists.
"It's the job of the Racine Police Department to address crime, but the long-term solution is not only the job of the Police Department," Wahlen said. "If you know me, you know I believe a lot lies in the
faith-based organizations."
Wahlen said he went on a peace march in the city last weekend. Of the roughly 100 people who took part, Wahlen said, only a handful were black men.
"Where are they?" he said. "Where are the African-American men?"
The Rev. Elliott Cohen, pastor of Abundant Life Christian Center, said he wishes some of that money could be made available for faith-based programs that are ministering to people in the troubled neighborhoods.
"Let's take $20,000 and provide mentoring to the groups they decide need to have fathers," Cohen said, referring to Wahlen's remark about black men.
Cohen wants to help the children of those missing black men, and received $5,000 from the county Human Services Department to do so. With more than 30 kids needing his help, he said that money goes fast.
"The chief said to take funding from the collection plate," Cohen said. "You can't perform a miracle from too little resources to do an (enormous) job. It requires a lot of time, a lot of
support."
Keith Fair, a former alderman who is now working for the Racine Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, pressed Wahlen about his statement about black men.
Wahlen said he was referring specifically to last week's march, but went on to say "I visit a lot of the African-American churches. African-American men are missing out on families. They're not stepping up to the plate. I'm saying it as a fact, not as a slight."
After the conference, Wahlen spoke individually with several of the black men in attendance and assured them that he was not speaking about all black men.
Everyone was cordial at the meeting, but there was tension. All of the officials who were presenting plans are white. Many of the people in Tuesday's audience are black.
Becker said he is committed to reaching out to all parts of the community to come up with a plan for change.
When asked whether a plan developed and presented by community leaders who are white could truly help minority neighborhoods, Becker said: "If we sit in that office back there and come up with this plan, no."
"I had 14 people (in my office), all black or Hispanic. There was me and one other white man. I listened to them. I'll listen to the community. I think we can help collaborate and put a plan together. If we sit in our offices and draw up a plan, it won't work."