Does New Haven Prelude Milwaukee?

There are a few obstacles to this kind of thing in Milwaukee. For openers, law-abiding citizens are not allowed to arm themselves for defense of their neighbors.

Members of a politically influential yeshiva led by Rabbi Daniel Greer (pictured at top) -- who have spent more than a decade rebuilding their stretch of Edgewood -- have organized an armed citizens patrol.

They made the announcement Monday afternoon at Yeshiva of New Haven (aka The Gan School) on Elm Street. They plan to begin patrolling Monday evening in two-person teams wearing "Edgewood Park Defense Patrol" T-shirts and carrying concealed, licensed firearms.

The patrols are scheduled to run from 6 to 10 p.m. daily in the area bounded by Norton Street, Edgewood Avenue, and West Park and Whalley Avenues.

Interesting similarity here:

That's the neighborhood where Greer's organization has rehabilitated 40 old-style New Haven houses and planted 450 trees over the past 18 years. It surrounds the old Roger Sherman School, which Greer's organization converted into an Orthodox Jewish school. The organization has also worked with neighbors to combat prostitution in the area, instituting a successful "John of the Week" effort which featured pinched patrons' names on flyers

Although I don't recall a prostitution problem in the Sherman Park area.

Another interesting parallel:

A longtime ally of Mayor John DeStefano, Greer did not alert City Hall in advance of plans to announce an armed patrol. Greer did communicate, repeatedly, his dissatisfaction with Police Chief Francisco Ortiz. Monday he called Ortiz the "Donald Rusmfeld" of the police department.

In related news:

Violent crime in Milwaukee increased 27.7% from 2005 to 2006, according to the FBI's Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report for 2006.

Here in Milwaukee, however, it's all Bush's fault:

Barrett attributed the rise in crime to a decline in funds for the community-oriented policing service program and the need for responsible gun legislation. Barrett recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to call for restoration of funding to the program.

Or maybe it's "irresponsible" gun legislation--you know--where nobody who is responsible is allowed to carry a friggin' gun.

HT: John Lott