Cheering throngs welcomed local, county and state law-enforcement agencies, elected public officials and nonprofit leaders who mustered at 61st Street and 20th Avenue for a safe-streets rally on Thursday at 12:30 PM. Some quotes:
"This area belongs to the citizens of Kenosha, it doesn't belong to a bunch of rats .... Don't let these punks and thugs and rats run your lives. ... We are going to get rid of the rats, and that's what I call them." - Kenosha Police Chief John W. Morrissey.
"The State Patrol is going to be helping, US Marshals, and of course the police department ... Last night the first twenty arrests were made in these neighborhoods to start cleaning them up ... There's one clear message: if you don't want to follow the law, get out, because we're going to be here." - Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth
"On behalf of the Wisconsin State Patrol, we're very appreciative of this invite ... we're looking for great successes." - WSP Officer
"The US marshals have always had a long, productive relationship ... we didn't hesitate when Chief Morrissey contacted us to be part of this problem." Doug Becker, US Marshal
"Fighting crime is not a one-man operation. ... Take back your neighborhood ... I'm proud to be a part of this effort." - District Attorney Robert Zapf
"A lot of the problems we have are in rental properties and I'm going to propose that the landlords be responsible for the people that they rent to." - Kenosha Alderman
"When you work together, it's amazing how much you can get done." - Kenosha County Administrator Jim Kreuser
"It's a problem we have to deal with now before it gets worse ... Residents have to feel safe in their neighborhood and I don't think it's been that way for the past couple of months ... We had some thug with a 9mm waving it around; that was just maybe the final exclamation point of what were seeing ... You can see around you the investment that's been made, the new shopping areas, the new grocery store ...this has been the city's plan to redeem our neighborhoods and we're not going top let a bunch of thugs interrupt what we've done over the past twenty years ... If anyone feel threatened in any way, it's our job to deal with it, and deal with it we will ... I believe we have the support of the Common Council as witnessed by those aldermen here today ... We're going to deal with it as long as we have to deal with it ... Our message to the gangbangers and the thugs: obey the law, or leave." - Kenosha Mayor Keith Bosman
