Before

After

After second rim is taken down
no basketball, golf, playground people,
or soccer playing, July 24, 2014

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Wisconsin Incident Based Report
In the last year there 11 police incidents. There were no police incidents reported at Doyne Park and Wells street, 4700–5579, during the time the full court basketball was available.

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Brief History and Fact Sheet on Full Court Basketball Playing at Doyne Park

The recreational facilities, including the basketball courts, were constructed from 1977–1981 (Source County Park System)

Basketball rim were taken down for renovation park project began, 2009? (County Park System) The renovation was at the request of Milwaukee Lutheran school to pay for soccer field for the girls soccer team practice.

While the courts were down a few neighbors and the than County Park supervisor conspired not to have all four courts restored. The basketball playing over the years had gone from almost all white to a mix of Asian, white and African American players.

Full Court Basketball was restored on July 27,, 2010. (County Park System)

Around Sept. 5th, a flyer goes out for “only residents of West Wells Street, or side streets. The flyer says “there has been a number of stolen bikes in the last few weeks, some left in the park.” The flyer calls for a house meeting on Sept. 9th to discuss the question: “Is the addition of hoops in Doyne Park an asset to our neighborhood or not?” (Source Flyer by Eric Jemberg)

Sept.12 Eric sends out email that on the meeting at his house “It was agreed to leave the hoops up. The county has installed retractable hoops and they will be taken up at dusk. One of the hoops will be removed to leave 3 half courts but no full courts. (Source: Email from Eric Jernberg on Sept. 12th}

The young adults and teens that mainly use the full court for basketball were not informed of any neighborhood concerns or that the full court was going to be removed. (Interviews, in person, by email and by phone with neighbors and basketball players by Bob Graf)

County Supervisor Lynn De Bruin reveals she had an agreement with the country park system not to restore full court basketball to Doyne Park when the courts were restored and to have the backboards with retractable rims that would be taken down at dusk. She cites “troublesome behavior at the full court basketball courts” as the reason. (Source email from Supervisor DeBruin to Bob Graf and selected neighbors on Sept. 15, 2010.)

Full Court Basketball was ended at Sept. 21, 2010. (Observation)

Starting Sept. 22nd the three remaining rims are retracted near dusk. (Observation)

There were 11 incidents reported to Police between Sept. 21, 2009 and Sept. 21, 2010 . None of them occurred when the full court was in operation. (Wisconsin Incident Based Report provide by police)

In spring of 2013, after conversations with the County Park administration about racial discrimination and after the present County Supervisor by State Law looses his authority to interfere in operation of County Park system, all four rims are replace.

All goes well, not disruptive behavior of basketball players is noted and according to Police incident reports there is no report of any burglary, thief or any crime on Wells Street and Doyne park from Feb. 2013 to Sunday, June 22. Even Eric and neighbors who live by the park report on the good behavior of youth playing basketball, half and full court.

June 22, 2014 It was it was reported there was gun shots coming from Doyne Park.

June 23, 2014 Eric Jeneberg calls for meeting of neighbors on his list in empty lot next to his home. From emails exchanged, even from those who do no longer live in the neighborhood and from statements made at the beginning of meeting it is clear that the meeting was not about safety of neighborhood and Doyne park but about eliminating basketball playing. “Full Court basketball” becomes new word for African American Youth and Young adults in the park.

All goes well with all playing basketball in the park but police and sheriff security increases. Basketball players of all races, male and female, young and old are respectful of each other.

On July 4th an illegal picnic and drinking at Doyne Park which has no picnic area leads to gun shots fired. (See County Park usage for Doyne Park at (https://us-mg205.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.partner=sbc&.rand) Sheriff officers were in the park that day but they and city police did not prevent illegal gathering.

July 5th and 6th basketball playing continues, with large groups of all ages at four courts with no incidents.

July 6th, I send out another call to form a neighborhood association but it is ignored by Erik’s email list recipients.

July 7, 2014 County takes down one of the basketball boards and rims and, preventing full court basketball (blacks) and locks the park.

July 7, 2014 Erik Jernberg sends out an email saying “there is a meeting Tuesday night at 5204 W wells.” I will suggest a county park person is invited. I might go but if the discussion becomes racist (full court basketball must go) I will need to leave.

July 8, 2014 At the beginning of the meeting Erik makes it clear that the meeting is not directly connected to firing of gun on July 4th, which was not related to basketball playing, but about taking down all of the backboard basketball rims. Mr. Murphy, Alderman, Sheriff Department, County Park representation talk about some of the things, like patrol of park, better lighting, locked gates at night, things we have been asking for years and now are just happening. But main discussion of politicians and people is to prevent basketball playing (African Americans) from using the park. A mock vote is taken at end of meeting but offer to take a door to door survey of what neighbors and park users would like is ignored.

Around July 23, 2014 A basketball pole is hit accidentally by WE Energy truck. The next day Milwaukee County Park system removes the pole, backboard and rim.

Now Doyne Park is down to 2 half courts. The park become empty and unused.

October 15, 2015
A County Park official said last summer that the pole, backboard and rim hit by WE Energy truck would be replaced. Over a year later it has not been replace. The park remains underused and there is still a denial of racial segregation and recreational redlining by County Parks Department, politicians and some neighbors.

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September 21, 2010

All four of the basketball rims at Doyne County Park were removed by orders of County Supervisor Lynn DeBrunn. This action was taken from complaints of neighbors of “troublesome behavior at the full court basketball courts.” There has been one full court basketball playing area and two half court backboard rims for many years at Doyne Park. The full court was used by teens and young adults (13–35 years old) who come from the neighborhood and outside to play full court basketball in the daylight. The county park also hosts a par three golf course, a children’s playground, a bike and walk trail and Voight Field for soccer and other sports. These facilities, like the full court basketball, are used by neighbors and county residents. The full court basketball players were not warned about “troublesome behavior” or aware that the rims were being taken down. The question was raised: Are the teens and young adults playing basketball in daylight hours the source of “troublesome behavior” in the park?

September 22, 2010

The two half court rims are removed. A county worker comes by in a truck in the early evening, in daylight, and removes the rims. A young neighborhood couple has their game of ‘horse’ interrupted.


September 23, 2010

Before 6pm, in full daylight while the park is being used, a young man, from the area, goes to the court to shoot hoops to find the two remaining hoops are down. Like many of the young men playing full court basketball throughout the many years at Doyne park he works hard in the day and was coming to the park for some recreation. He had come the night before with some friends to play full court basketball only to discover the rims on the full court were removed.

September 24, 2010

The two rims at the half courts are restored, plus one of the rims on one side of the full court.

from Wells St.

September 25, 2010

Normally on a fall Saturday there would be an active full-court basketball game at the park. When I visited the park today and drove by, the courts were empty.

September 26, 2010

On this beautiful, sunny afternoon the park is full of golfers, parents teaching how to ride a bike, people riding and running on the bike trail. A lone basketball player from the area waits for friends to show up who may not come because the rim for full-court basketball playing is missing.

Hope comes today in a phone call with Father Paul of Sacred Heart Church, boarding Doyne Park offering to host a neighborhood meeting in the Church Hall to discuss restoring the rim for full court basketball playing.

September 27, 2010
With the work week comes the speedway during drive times from Hawley Road to 47th street where there are no stop signs. Very few cars and trucks are even close to speed limit of 30 miles per hour. I think the speedy cars pose more a danger to young children in the neighborhood than teens and young adults playing basketball.

September 28, 2010

I went to the park twice today. The first time in the early afternoon I noticed the missing rim on the full court was on the north side of the court, one closer to golf course. When I came back at 6pm all the rims were down although it was still daylight.

September 30, 2010
Today we got the police report for Wells Street area around Doyne Park for 9/23/09 to 9/23/10. We are waiting for the county parks took the rims done for park reconstruction and the date they were restored with the the full court basketball playing before we publish the police reports. However, it seems like there was no police calls during the time the full court was taken down and the day it was restored.