Traffic Safety Unit Issues 21,260 Citations In First Year

One year after it was first unveiled, Police Chief Jeffrey Norman‘s Traffic Safety Unit has handed out 21,260 citations.

More than half of the citations, 11,973, were issued for speeding. Nearly 2,800 of the citations were issued for speeding in excess of 25 miles per hour over the posted speed limit.

The chief, joined by Acting Mayor Cavalier Johnson and other Milwaukee Police Department, announced the results of the program in a parking lot at the Midtown Center shopping mall along W. Capitol Dr.

“I want to remind the public, this traffic safety unit is a response to the request for higher visibility and enforcement for what is going on on our city’s streets,” said Norman.

The unit, which consists of between 10 to 20 Milwaukee Police Department officers, posts its location in advance on a special website (find the officers Saturday on W. Capitol Dr. at 3 p.m. and W. Appleton Ave. at 7 p.m.).

“This tool is for the community,” said Norman of the website, which also includes a breakdown of where and what citations were issued.

Following speed limit violations, the unit handed out 3,874 citations for driver’s license violations, 2,238 citations for failure to observe a traffic sign or signal and 1,310 citations for collisions.

When asked if the idea was working, Norman said he is looking at the “total picture.”

“We’re seeing some promising data coming back in regards to when the squads are in these areas for traffic enforcement it also has an effect in regards to those who are involved in violent behavior,” said Norman.

He said the municipal court system is telling him that the number of repeat offenders is falling.

“Yes, there is a lot of work ahead of us. We know that,” said Johnson. But he said along W. Capitol Dr., near which he lives, he believes he’s seeing less reckless driving. “The residents of Milwaukee expect action and we’re delivering on that action.”

The press conference was also used to tout a new policy backed by Johnson and Norman: the ability to tow the vehicles of the most egregious offenders that are also driving unregistered vehicles. MPD is expected to begin towing vehicles on May 1.

“We want the public to know our expectations are high that drivers follow the rules of the road or expect consequences,” said Johnson.

“This is not an all-encompassing towing policy,” said Norman.

Data provided by MPD shows that since 2018, 655 traffic stops could have resulted in the vehicle being towed. Meaning the vehicle was unregistered and a citation is issued for speeding for at least 25 miles per hour over the posted limit, endangering safety for reckless driving, fleeing from an officer or drag racing. That data shows that only 11 of those stops were repeat offenders.

MPD is considering another strategy to pursue repeat violators in civil court that would allow the department to impound vehicles or jail frequent offenders.

Both Johnson and Norman said enforcement isn’t the only solution.

Johnson said the public could expect by spring to see the first engineering interventions and traffic calming improvements funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.

New proposals to make concrete changes, including curb bump-outs, will take longer, but a proposal to modify W. Capitol Dr., W. Fond du Lac Ave., W. Burnham St., S. 35th St. and N. Van Buren St. are making their way through the Common Council and would take longer. Johnson noted that the modification to narrow W. Becher St. for three blocks and add a protected bike lane was recently completed.