City Will Toughen Penalties For Reckless Drivers

City officials at Tuesday’s reckless driving press conference. Photo taken Oct. 1, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.

Efforts to combat reckless driving are clearly visible throughout the city streets, with re-engineering projects yielding curb-bumpouts, protected bike lanes and more.

While the city’s latest push for safer roads will be less conspicuous — focusing on tougher penalties for repeat offenders — local leaders hope it will be the most effective measure yet.

On Tuesday afternoon, elected officials and members of the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) gathered at City Hall to announce a “coordinated enforcement and prosecution” plan, which employs an existing state law (Act 9) to double fines and jail time for repeat offenders.

State Rep. Robert Donovan (R-Greenfield), a former Milwaukee alderman, and Sen. Duey Stroebel (R-Saukville), championed the bill in 2023.

“Reckless drivers will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Mayor Cavalier Johnson, who declared reckless driving a public safety crisis as his first act in office. “We’re not excusing that behavior, we’re not easing up on that behavior and we’re not forgiving of that behavior, either.”

For first offenses, judges could impose a fine of $50 to $400. Subsequent offenses would range from $100 to $1,000 — double the prior range — with an optional jail sentence reaching a maximum of 12 months.

Police Chief Jeffrey Norman called the effort “a tool” in addressing the citywide issue.

“This partnership recognizes a holistic approach where the enforcement and prosecution arms of the justice system are aligned to achieve the common goal of increased safety in Milwaukee,” he said.

Under the plan, MPD officers are directed to issue state citations for all provable instances of reckless driving. The city attorney’s office will prosecute the first offense, with the district attorney’s office taking on the prosecution in state court of second or subsequent offenses.

“We will not amend or dismiss these tickets, whether it’s a conviction through a trial or through a plea,” said City Attorney Evan Goyke, noting that he would have executed the plan on his first day in office, if possible. “It’s about holding these individuals accountable and achieving results and safer streets (in) the City of Milwaukee.”

The law also eliminates the “lookback window,” allowing all prior offenses to be considered, regardless of when they occurred.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern said the latest intervention aims to address concerns that have long been raised by city residents.

“The reality is, this type of driving endangers everyone in our community, and behavior that hurts or has the potential to hurt other people deserves a very straightforward response,” he said.

Various Milwaukee Common Council members including aldermen Peter Burgelis, Scott Spiker and DiAndre Jackson and Council President Jose G. Perez were also in attendance.

“What’s going on now is just simply unacceptable, and we must move on all fronts to eliminate reckless driving,” said Perez, emphasizing the need to raise awareness for the effort.

“We must continue to make those efforts to the community members to make them aware of these laws when they change or they are applied differently,” he said. “That’s why we’re here today. This law has been on the books, but now, due to the continued stress and fear that reckless drivers have applied to our streets, I agree that this must be implemented.”

The coordinated enforcement and prosecution is in effect as of Tuesday.

Photos

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Related Legislation: Act 9