Milwaukee County launches $1.5 million violence-prevention initiative for 2026
Milwaukee County has launched Destined for Greater, a public-safety and community-violence-intervention initiative that will operate through 2026 with $1.5 million in grant funding from the Wisconsin Office of Violence Prevention.
County Executive David Crowley announced the initiative June 24. The county describes Destined for Greater as a coordinated effort that brings together existing violence-intervention and mental-wellness services alongside new projects and community partnerships.
The launch activates the state grant funding for programming involving Milwaukee County agencies and Milwaukee-area organizations. The county did not provide a single combined count of participants or a projection for reductions in shootings or other violence.
Programs and partners
The initiative includes the Advance Peace Fellowship and the Credible Messenger Program, according to the county release. It also identifies Milwaukee Turners, INPOWER Solutions and CC We Adapt among the funded partners.
Advance Peace Fellowship began in 2024. The county reported that 95% of its fellows had no new gun injuries since the program launched. That figure is a reported program outcome, not an independently audited finding in the county source.
For the Credible Messenger Program, the county reported that 76% of participating youth had no referral or offense in the program’s most recent reporting. The release does not specify a combined participant total for the initiative or provide further detail on the reporting period in the available source packet.
What the county is coordinating
Destined for Greater links violence intervention, mental-wellness services, youth programming and community partnerships across Milwaukee County. The initiative incorporates services already in place while adding new projects supported in part by the Wisconsin Office of Violence Prevention grants.
The reported outcomes for Advance Peace and Credible Messenger provide context for programs included in the effort, but they do not establish that the new countywide initiative has reduced Milwaukee’s overall shooting or homicide rate. Nor do they prove that the initiative will cause a future reduction in violence.
For Milwaukee County residents and community organizations involved in the programs, the immediate change is the formal launch and 2026 coordination of the grant-supported work. Programming is scheduled to continue throughout 2026.
Next known step
The county’s announced timeline is the 2026 program period. The source does not identify a later public reporting deadline, an overall performance target or a projected countywide violence-reduction figure.
Sources
- Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley Launches ‘Destined for Greater’ Public Safety Initiative, Milwaukee County Executive's Office
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