Homicides in Milwaukee Down 39% From 2022
Down from a record high as the post-pandemic decline in crime continues.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson (right) and Police Chief Jeffrey Norman. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
Year-over-year crime statistics released Tuesday by the Milwaukee Police Department contain almost entirely good news.
Homicides and non-fatal shootings each fell more than 20% in 2024. Other violent crimes, rape, aggravated assault, burglary and arson, also fell.
“From the start of my time as mayor, I’ve made it very, very clear, that I’ve got no higher priority than working to improve public safety here in the city of Milwaukee,” said Mayor Cavalier Johnson at a press conference Tuesday afternoon at MPD headquarters. “That work is underway to make Milwaukee a safer place, [it’s] paying dividends.”
According to MPD’s stats, Type 1 crimes reported to the FBI were down 4% in 2024 compared to 2023, and 12% from 2022.
“For the second year in a row, Part 1 crime is down,” said Police Chief Jeffrey Norman.
Homicides fell to 132, a 23% drop from 2023 and a 39% drop from the record 215 recorded in 2022.
“Right now, today, we’re demonstrably a more safe city than when I took office,” said Johnson.
And while true, the statement also needs perspective. Johnson’s first full year in office saw a record 215 homicides, the peak of a three-year upward trend that started in 2020. There were fewer homicides in 2024 than in the early 1990s, but Milwaukee has a long way to go to reach the 99 and 97 homicides recorded in 2018 and 2019, or the 35-year-low of 71 recorded in 2008.
“Overall, I am quite satisfied with the direction that we’re headed, and 2024’s successes should motivate all of us, as it motivates me to keep working to make the city safer for all involved,” said Johnson.
Norman said more work is still needed. “Firearm violence continues to be a problem.” He also acknowledged that carjackings are on the rise, but attributed it to an early year surge driven by a handful of people on sprees.
“There are certain people who are responsible for a high number,” said Norman. “I do say that we are very good at investigations. No one is a career carjacker. But we need to work on why are our young ones engage in such a reckless and dangerous behavior… the unfortunate thing is you’re not going to rush your way out of this. You’re not going to scare anyone out of this.”
The chief, who has served in the role since December 2020, said the city has a “great energy and great direction” about improving public safety. “This is about collaboration and working together,” said Norman, citing interactions with community groups. “It is nice to see the direction we’re going and we think we can maintain that.”
“We’re not resting on our laurels. There is still so much work for all of us to do,” said Johnson. “But part of that continued success relies not just on me or the chief of police, but it relies on folks in the community too. Everybody is a part of a public safety… everybody has a role to play.”
“I always say this: there is no one particular item, group action,” said Norman, explaining the cause of the decline. He said prevention strategies brought forth by elected officials, MPD collaborating with the FBI and several other factors are driving the decline.
“We still ask for the community to do a little bit more,” he added. “Meaning that, lock up your firearms. Do not make it available for those that should not have possession in the first place.”
The mayor maintains he has a straightforward two-pillar approach, accountability and prevention. “Accountability through the criminal justice system, through police support, through prosecutors, through the courts, all of them play a vital role and we will continue to work with our partners there.” He said it also involves schools, homes and elsewhere. “Prevention is also part of the mix and it needs to be part of the mix. Whether it’s city agencies, whether it’s community organizations, families, friends, neighbors, you name it, we all have to take part in prevention to make sure our city is a safe place.”
Vehicle Theft Remains Elevated
One crime trend appears to have plateaued: vehicle theft.
Milwaukee encountered an epidemic of vehicle thefts, driven by vulnerabilities in Kia and Hyundai vehicles, starting in 2020. The problem peaked in 2021 when more than 10,000 vehicles were stolen. Thefts fell to 8,099 in 2022, but remained nearly identical in 2023 and 2024 at 6,276 and 6,376.
“There are still things we as a community can do,” said Norman. “The prevention stuff that we talk about.”
He said that includes making sure vulnerable Kia and Hyundai vehicles receive the free software upgrade to eliminate the vulnerability and the use of steering wheel locks
“We ask the public to be more preventative,” he said, requesting valuables be kept out of sight.
A federal lawsuit by Milwaukee and more than 20 other cities related to financial damages from the theft epidemic is ongoing.
Homicides in Milwaukee – 1990 to 2024. Data compiled by Urban Milwaukee.
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Down from a historic rise during the pandemic. Nationally there was a 30% jump in murders between 2019 and 2020. Milwaukee’s jump was nearly 100%! So of course our reversion to the mean looks more impressive. But, with car jackings UP and reckless driving rampant (things that drive middle class families out of the City) I think Mayor Johnson and Chief Norman should cool it on taking a congratulatory lap.
I will say that I am always more than a bit dismayed when there is reporting on socio-economic trending during and after the COVID pandemic, its tremendously negative impact on employment and earnings, and also the murders of George Floyd and Breonna and subsequent upheaval. It’s as if data is all that maters, and its simply not trus. So, to your point, @AttyDanAdams, I’m in total agreement.
I agree with Johnson that at least two pillars are needed: accountability and prevention. I have written in the past that prevention is the more important of the two because, if we get to the “accountability” stage, we have already lost.
Johnson states that he can’t rest on his laurels and there is so much more to do. True, and I suspect he is sincere in this.
Reckless driving is rampant in the suburbs as well. So, I don’t believe that reckless driving is driving middle class families out of the city. What has a more profound impact on such minor crimes as reckless driving, speeding, and jaywalking is the lawlessness of political leaders. If the president is not bound by the laws of the land, why should anyone (regardless of social class or racial make up) be bound by the laws of the land. Our system of laws is a social contract, particularly so in a democratic republic (which the US claims to be.) When those who make and enforce the laws, do not believe the laws apply to them, they break the social contract. This leads to more lawless behavior on the part of others.
The major factor impacting violent crimes such as murder, burglary, and carjacking, is the level of poverty. It is one of the reasons why experts state that raising the economic position of the poor benefits everyone.
There is also the impact of white collar crime, such as price gouging and fixing, false advertisement, money laundering, fraud etc. These are the crimes of the very wealthy and most often harm working families. When our judicial system upholds these laws, the very wealthy and powerful complain about “weaponization” of the judicial system, and unfair targeting. It’s as if the rich and powerful do not believe laws should apply to them.
Bottomline, if the laws don’t apply to everyone including RRRs (radical reactionary republicans) than the social contract is broken, resulting in rampant and flagrant law breaking. Every society throughout history has faced this same problem; when there is a separate legal code for the rich and powerful, that breaks down the social fabric. The result is a general lawlessness just like the Wild West.
What Atty Adams doesn’t understand is the general lawless he complains about in the city of Milwaukee ramped up significantly after the January 6, 2021 insurrection. If he wants to blame anyone, then he needs to look to the cowardice of Republicans in their response to the treasonous behavior of HWSNBN (he who shall not be named.)