The Student Association of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee overwhelmingly approved legislation on Sunday that orders the university to include identifying characteristics like height and race in campus-wide e-mails detailing crimes on or near campus. Read the story by Bradley Wooten.

Coming soon: Would the university comply? Check FPM for the response.

Despite growing concern, crime at Mayfair Mall (as measured by arrests) has increased only slightly in the past five years, and it remains far below the level at Greendale’s Southridge, a mall with fewer visitors, a Frontpage Milwaukee investigation has found. 

The investigation follows an increase in prosecutorial and media attention focused on Mayfair offenders. Arrests at Mayfair did increase slightly in 2006, while arrests at Southridge dipped slightly after peaking in 2005. 

At both malls, violent crime arrest rates are comparable to rates in Mequon and Pewaukee. This is true of disorderly conduct numbers as well. Theft is the biggest problem. The investigation also found that most individuals arrested are adults at both malls, and blacks accounted for 80 percent of all arrests at Mayfair in the past five years.

Click "more" for a summary of the findings. Go here for the full story.

Coming soon: How do Brookfield Square and Bayshore compare?

Milwaukee-Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson made his official bid for the 2008 Presidential Election at Messmer High School on 741 West Capitol Drive, Wednesday morning, to a crowd of students and supporters.

The location was chosen because of its success as a school involved in the school choice program. The program has been adapted by Thompson while governor and permits up to 15 percent of the city’s children who are in the public school district to be enrolled in participating area private schools.

Read the second part of Matt Hrodey's series on mall crime here.
Read part one, a comparison of arrest numbers at Mayfair and Southridge, here.

Photo by Ryan Abel

What was once just a walkway for thousands now means a lot more to many people. A vigil was held Thursday between the union and the library at the UWM campus for the victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy. Read the rest of this story under "more."

OTHER VIRGINIA TECH STORIES:

Using Facebook to grieve

How does UWM handle troubled students? 

Read them here.

(From left: Holt, Luljak, Kontowicz, and McIlheran. Huyke is not pictured)

In a campus forum on race and crime, five panelists sharply differed on whether the university and media should include race in suspect descriptions released to the public.

The panel, sponsored by the Minority Media Association of UW-Milwaukee (MMA), also debated the broader question of whether reporting the race of a suspect is appropriate in a crime story.  

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee officials are working to strengthen security plans here in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings, such as moving ahead with plans for a campus-wide PA system. Some university officials have also considered whether mass text message alerts would be a more effective method of communicating with students than email in the event of an emergency here.

John Krezoski, Director of the UWM Safety and Assurances Department, said communication procedures within each building currently vary given that only about half of the buildings on campus are equipped with a PA system.  Krezoski says that in buildings without PA systems, someone will have to yell the message through the halls.  "It's kind of archaic, but effective," says Krezoski.

Only 9 percent of eligible UW-Milwaukee students voted on campus in last month's state Supreme Court election, with those who did vote favoring candidate Linda Clifford nearly three to one.  

Federal authorities are now conducting their own investigation into the Army recruitment center incident during which some anti-war protesters allegedly engaged in vandalism, Frontpage Milwaukee has learned.

The Wisconsin Room came alive Monday night as concerned students, neighbors, and others strongly disagreed about whether the university should expand its procedures to discipline students for nonacademic misbehavior off campus.  The Chapter 17 and 18 Review Committee listened to over 40 statements, which lasted over three hours.

A man allegedly posts a death threat to University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Student Association members on facebook and allegedly says it was a joke. Citing Virginia Tech, student leaders are questioning the university police response tonight after authorities said they believe the comments were a joke not intended to be carried out. The graphic above is the man's facebook site. FPM has obscured his face and removed his name because he hasn't been criminally charged.