Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn is touting his new crime strategy targeting one area of the city and now other police departments are taking note.
Last week, police told TODAY'S TMJ4 they had narrowed down a small, two-mile section on the north side where much of the city's violent crime spreads from.
Now, the Department of Justice and New Orleans Police Department are in town to learn more. Chief Ed Flynn spent the day educating them about a small, two square mile section of the city. It's called the Center Street Corridor.
The area spans from 16th to 51st and Burleigh Street to North Avenue Center Street is in the middle. It sees a high concentration of murders, shootings, robberies and carjackings.
"What was deemed unique about the Milwaukee approach is that we decided to take this concept and rather than spread it out citywide we would focus on a specific geographic area of the city," Flynn said.
Police find most of the city's criminals somehow connect back to the Center Street Corridor. The chief said targeting them in the corridor drives down crime everywhere.
"In really basically 9 months we achieved significant reductions in violent crime in the area we focus on," Flynn said.
New Orleans Police said it's what has them paying attention.
"It's a model we are very excited to come here today and take a look at and also bring back to New Orleans to help us continue to reduce the homicides and also to attack the non-fatal shootings," said Deputy Chief Paul Noel, New Orleans Police Department.
The Department of Justice said St. Louis and Nashville are also interested in using the same concept as the Center Street Corridor initiative.
