MPD Launches the 2025 Operation Summer Guardian

MILWAUKEE, WI—The Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) is pleased to announce the launch of the fourth annual Operation Summer Guardian Summer Initiative (Summer Guardian 4.0) to address gun violence beginning the weekend of May 15th.

MPD has incorporated key recommendations from annual analysis conducted through the Medical College of Wisconsin. In addition, MPD’s deployments are informed by way of evaluating gunshot detection system data, and analyzing non-fatal shootings, homicides and shots fired calls. Equally important is community involvement in the process. MPD has enhanced community feedback throughout the process that included a pre-deployment and a post-deployment survey.

MPD will have ongoing discussions with our intergovernmental and community partners during the duration of Summer Guardian 4.0. Community engagement by both deployed officers as well as local community organizations is a vital component of Summer Guardian. In addition, MPD has created a post-deployment forum to ensure our efforts best support the neighborhoods we are serving.

Based on the data-driven analysis, there will be an increased police presence to address gun violence in 30 neighborhoods throughout the City. The city-wide neighborhoods include Muskego Way, Historic Mitchell Street, Lincoln Village, Layton Park, Forest Home Hills, Walnut Hill, Midtown, Cold Spring Park, Avenues West, Concordia, Silver Spring, Havenwoods, McGovern Park, Fairfield, Thurston Woods, Old North Milwaukee, Franklin Heights, Arlington Heights, Wahl Park, Lincoln Creek, Grasslyn Manor, Capitol Heights, Roosevelt Grove, Sunset Heights, Sherman Park, Saint Joseph, Uptown, Metcalfe Park, Amani, and North Division. MPD’s response and enforcement strategies prioritize fair, impartial, and constitutional policing, guided by MPD’s Code of Conduct. Officers engaged in Operation Summer Guardian attend special training prior to deployment to ensure compliance with these pillars of fair and impartial policing. Furthermore, MPD does not measure success by proactivity alone; rather, the overall reduction in gun violence and incidents of shots fired in the identified communities.

MPD has seen an increase in youth victims and suspects involved in violent crime, especially crimes involving gun violence and illegal firearm possession. The 2025 deployment will focus on the reduction of youth gun violence and illegal possession of firearms by minors. This will be accomplished by a twofold approach of proactive enforcement and youth outreach in conjunction with our community partners.

For more information, please visit: https://mkepdpio.org/home/operation-summer-guardian/

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.