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Residents Urge Continued Funding for Racine—s Violence Intervention Work; Council Preserves Department Funding
Summary
Dozens of residents urged the Common Council to fund the Department of Community Safety—s community violence intervention work during a public hearing on Oct. 30. After lengthy discussion of budget items and ordinances, the council amended local rules so city funds may cover any grant shortfall for the department and approved that change.
Dozens of Racine residents urged the Common Council on Oct. 30 to keep funding the city—s community-based violence intervention efforts, saying the Office of Community Safety—s programs have reduced shootings and connected at-risk residents with jobs, counseling and other services.
Speakers at the city—s 2026 budget public hearing recounted personal experiences with the program and detailed claimed outcomes. "Racine's much needed violence intervention and prevention initiative has resulted in a 52% decrease in shots fired and a 21% decrease in nonfatal shootings here in Racine," said James Poplowski, a resident who described attending a Baltimore-based documentary and local panel on the strategy. Multiple other speakers described the program—s trauma-informed outreach, youth employment and case-management components and asked the council to sustain funding.
The pub…
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