Safety concerns in a southside Milwaukee neighborhood have pushed one homeowner to lead a charge for more community engagement and accountability.
When Drea Rodriguez noticed issues stemming from a home, now boarded up by police, in her southside neighborhood she decided it was time to take action.
“It seemed like a drug house,” Rodriguez said. “It had a lot of foot traffic, and it had a lot of cars blocking the alley.”
With the help of the Southside Organizing Center, Rodriguez and her neighbors spent Saturday morning cleaning up their block.
Rodriguez said the group wanted to start something positive, to engage residents and make sure those who live there understand they have a say.
Her efforts have already begun to make an impact.
"Our Common Council president and Alderperson Jose Perez was able to connect with the owner of the building, that does not live here but is willing to do some major changes including adding some cameras,” Rodriguez explained.
Rodriguez has also gotten the attention of area business owners like Justin Kosakoski, who runs Koz’s Mini Bowl just down the street from Rodriguez.
He told TMJ4’s Tahleel Mohieldin he was thrilled to see his neighbors engaged and smiling while doing it.
"They were all looking like they cared,” Kosakoski said. "If no one’s putting in the foot forward it all becomes chaos so it's nice that the efforts are given and that matters a lot.”
Rodriguez also said Saturday’s cleanup was just the beginning. She plans to launch a resident group to build more community-focused events and programs.
“We're not going anywhere,” she said. “This area around 6th and Becher, 6th and National will be having a lot of development in the future so they need to be paying attention to us now."
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