Crime Continues to Decline in Milwaukee

The Milwaukee Police Administration Building on Thursday, Oct. 13, in Milwaukee, Wis. Angela Major/WPR

Even as Milwaukee residents and law enforcement recently raised alarms about more young people being victims and suspects in criminal incidents, homicides and nonfatal shootings are declining in the city.

Homicides in the city are down 21 percent this year compared to the same time last year, according to crime statistics from the Milwaukee Police Department. Nonfatal shootings are also down 22 percent in that same time frame.

Other crimes like aggravated assault, burglaries and arson are also down in the city this year compared to last year, according to the crime statistics. Even though Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson called those numbers a “positive trend,” he said more work still needs to be done.

“Improving safety is too important, it’s too high a priority for us to ease up,” Johnson said during a Tuesday press conference about the crime statistics.

Meanwhile, crimes like robbery, motor vehicle theft and carjackings are on the rise in Milwaukee.

“We’re determined to find strategies in order to bring those numbers back down,” Johnson said during the press conference.

When it comes to homicides, Milwaukee is part of a national trend — homicides are down nearly 18 percent in over 200 cities this year compared to last year, according to data from AH Datalytics.

City leaders have pointed to community partnerships and outreach as part of the reason for the decline. The continued drop comes after Milwaukee broke its homicide record for the third year in a row in 2022.

“This progress is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our community, law enforcement and local organizations who have come together to make our neighborhoods safer,” said Ashanti Hamilton, the executive director of the Office of Community Wellness and Safety.

Carjackings on the rise

Although most violent crime has dipped, carjackings are up 20 percent this year compared to last year and up 29 percent compared to two years ago. Motor vehicle thefts are also up 4 percent this year compared to last year.

Milwaukee leaders have been sounding the alarm about the increase for months. There have been 417 carjackings so far in 2024, up from 347 during the same time last year.

The city website also has information on how to avoid a “bump and run” carjacking, or when someone attempts to steal a car after a car crash.

During the Tuesday press conference, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said the city saw an increase in young people involved in carjackings and motor vehicle thefts over the summer.

“While we know summer is hot, both in weather and crime trends, we do not take this lightly,” Norman said. “Solving these crimes are a priority for my team and myself.”

Norman wrote an open letter to the community in August discussing the increase to raise awareness about the issue.  In the letter, he said children as young as 11 and 12 years old are committing the crimes.

“These kids are brazenly using firearms to take cars and other property from strangers,” Norman said in the letter.  “This compels me to call our community to intervene.”

“We are committed to innovative new approaches. We are always open to new ideas. But even with unlimited resources, we can’t be everywhere, and our primary and priority role in crime is to enforce the law,” Norman wrote.

City leaders also held a press conference in August to discuss the issue.

“We’re seeing these criminal acts in multiple parts of the city,” Johnson said during that press conference.

Johnson called for “strict accountability” to hold people responsible for the crimes. He also called on the community to step and up and to say something if they see something.

“Let’s all work to put a stop to this, all of us can do this together, it’s the police, it’s the public, it’s elected officials as well, community groups working together to solve these issues,” Johnson said.

In August, Milwaukee Police Inspector David Feldmeier said police have had “several special deployments” responding to districts where the crimes have had the “largest impact.”

Feldmeier urged people not to try to stop an attempted carjacking, as those people can be armed with a firearm.

Listen to the WPR report

Homicides and nonfatal shootings continue to decline in Milwaukee, mirroring national trends was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.