Several city officials heard residents' concerns Wednesday night at LaFollette High School on Madison's east side about the city's mounting crime-related problems.
Although the majority of crime still occurs downtown, eastside citizens expressed discontent for ongoings in their neighborhoods.
Numerous speakers told Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, Madison Police Department Chief Noble Wray and several Madison alders and police officers they want more police activity in and around the east side.
Currently, there are challenges outside of the central district, but there always have been,"" Cieslewicz spokesperson George Twigg said, pointing to Allied Drive and certain spots on the east side.
""It takes a village to raise a child, and the police have failed me miserably,"" one concerned eastside resident said, adding police have refused her calls and cries for help when she is botherd by neighborhood teenagers.
Cieslewicz and Wray have a plan in place to hire 30 new officers, which Twigg said would cost about $2.3 million.
Money for the officers will come from the mayor's new budget, which has yet to be determined and will not be finalized until November. In addition, Twigg said some current programs receiving funding from the budget would have to be cut.
Still, residents throughout Madison say they want answers to the problem now.
The residents who spoke Wednesday night echoed one another's perspectives. They said it does not matter how police officers are added, but agreed something needs to be done now.
Speakers referenced shootings, drug deals and graffiti by teenagers as the biggest issues. Conversely, downtown, the bigger problems are related to bar-time crime, such as drinking and large-scale fights.
To combat crime downtown, Cieslewicz set up a $100,000 safety initiative, and Twigg said the mayor may look into a similar initiative for other areas in the city.
""The bottom line is we need to have a citywide response to public safety,"" Twigg said.
A similar listening session will be held tonight for Madison's westside residents.
