Five days before the Republican National Convention begins in Milwaukee, midyear crime statistics show major crimes are down, a point at odds with a recent statement by the presumptive nominee, Donald Trump, who recently referred to Milwaukee as a "horrible city."
Through July 8,68 people have been killed in homicidesin Milwaukee, down about 15% compared to this time last year and 38% compared to 2022, according to the Milwaukee Police Department.In Milwaukee, homicides spiked in 2020 during the pandemic reached a record high in 2022, before experiencing a significant drop last year.
Nonfatal shootings also are down 27% from last year and down 24% from 2022. These numbers are still higher than 2019, the last full year of data prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fewer vehicle thefts, aggravated assaults and rapes have been reported so far this year, but there is an increase in carjackings and domestic violence-related deaths remain "persistently high."
As in other major cities, gun violence disproportionately affects Black communities — a discrepancy seen by observing those being held at jails and prisons, the makeup of the neighborhoods where the shootings occurred, and the victims of crime.
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman attributes the recent decline in gun violence to partnerships between public offices and community groups.
"It’s a we,” Norman said. "You will not hear us saying it is just MPD."
Norman sat for an interview Tuesday with the Journal Sentinel to discuss crime trends, concerns in the department, and the state of public safety in Milwaukee.
Those tasked with keeping the city safe look past the political soundbites, instead maintaining focus on the fact crime is down, but violence is not gone.
Take the family of Sade Robinson, a local college student who was killed and dismembered. They continue to mourn her loss and search for portions of her body.
Milwaukee resident D'Vontaye Mitchell was held down by security guards outside the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee. His family said watching his death on video footage is "like watching George Floyd's death." On Wednesday, the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office said it was reviewing Mitchell's death as a homicide case.
Gun violence is trending downward but not fast enough; too many youth involved.
Norman, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Ashanti Hamilton, director of the Office of Violence Prevention, and several Common Council members called a press conference last month following a day in which 13 people were shot during one of the first days of summer.
The shootings included two teens injured and one fatally shot following an event for young people at Washington Park celebrating the Juneteenth holiday. Police said two teens fired guns in that incident.
This summer's gun violence follows attention brought last summer to more young people becoming victims and suspects in shootings. More than 150 youth were injured or killed in shootings in 2023.
There is a decline in the number of youth victims so far in 2024, according to police.
The mayor pushes back on the narrative that young people don’t have opportunities or “things to do” in Milwaukee.
Johnson points to the city’s Hello Summer initiative, which he describes as a "catch all” for events happening around the city. He said groups like the YMCA and Urban Underground, founded by Ald. Sharlen Moore, are doing great work.
“The fact of the matter is there’s plenty of things for young people to do in Milwaukee,” Johnson said.
Norman and the department have tried to combat a rise in violence during the summer by instituting Operation Summer Guardian, which places more police in neighborhoods where shootings are higher.
"We are making decisions at the local level to positively impact the lives, particularly of kids, in Milwaukee,” Johnson said.
One of Norman’s main concerns is people using firearms to settle conflicts, a point the mayor − who often calls on the Republican-led State Legislature to restrict people’s access to guns − agrees with.
"We’re not talking about law abiding gun owners or anything like that," Johnson said. "We’re talking about guns in the hands of people who should not have them."
Johnson said there should be “common ground” on restricting access to domestic abusers and people purchasing guns illegally, or without a background check.
The Legislature “refuses to act,” he said. “(They) see these same stories of heartbreak, and people being hurt, and children being caught in the crossfire. We just don’t see the action.”
Black Milwaukee has long grappled with gun violence
About 70% of homicide victims in Milwaukee this year were Black.According to the latest census data, Black people make up just under 39% of the population.
But gun violence is not a uniquely Milwaukee issue but a longtime status for many Black communities across the U.S.
“When people talk about crime and the proliferation of crime among some communities rather than others, there often is an attempt to explain it very simplistic,” said Alvin Thomas, a clinical psychologist and associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“It’s more than just that. There’s racism. There’s the historical impact of racism and race, and how that affects policy, how policy impacts access to resources, impacts access to social mobility, impacts where people live, what kind of schools people go to, the perception of any kind of personal agency, the ability to rise beyond where you’re born.
“The temptation is to focus on drugs or to focus on crime, or to focus on gun violence, but there is this really insidious issue that is spreading backwards into history and forward into the future that’s affecting now. In the Black community you have lack of resources that make people human. Outside of that access to that basic humanity, people start to act in ways that are not always in their best interest.”
Johnson, Milwaukee's first Black mayor, mostly blames deindustrialization. There is a correlation between the decline of manufacturing in Milwaukee and the amount of crime occurring in the city, Johnson said.
“I would imagine when folks were moving to Milwaukee, trying to get access to good-paying, family-supporting jobs, when manufacturing was king here in this community, that violence was low or at least much lower than what it is.
“It wasn’t a local decision for those opportunities to leave. Milwaukee, much like other cities in the industrial Midwest, was caught up in deindustrialization, globalization and corporations that were trying to have an opportunity to keep more of their money, and not make investments in the workers. That’s got a profound impact.”
Robberies, vehicle thefts trending down, carjackings on the rise
Milwaukee became known for vehicle thefts − specifically Kias and Hyundais — in 2022 after a YouTube video by the "Kia Boys" went viral.
According to police data, motor vehicle thefts have dropped three years in a row, but Milwaukee is still on pace to see nearly 6,000 vehicle thefts in 2024, which is less than the record-high 11,500 in 2021.
Milwaukee is on pace to have about same amount of robberies as last year and 2022, according to police data. There were 1,932 robberies in 2023 and so far this year, the crime is up 1%.
Carjackings – which involve the taking of a car by threat or force, often with a weapon – have increased 29% from 2019 to 2023, according to police data, despite vehicles thefts declining. So far this year, carjackings are up 12% compared to this time in 2023.
Earlier this year, a 15-year-old was charged in children’s court in connection with the carjacking and shooting of a community minister as he drove for Uber.
Kevin Simmons, known as "Minister Kevin," is a volunteer pastor, youth basketball referee and someone who helps families impacted by violence. He refuses to let the fact he was carjacked deter him from making things better in the community.
"Obviously there’s people that are slipping through the cracks, people that we haven’t reached,” Simmons told the Journal Sentinel. "Ignoring the problem ain’t solving the problem. You have to be hands-on."
Reckless drivingbeing addressed by officials
Reducing reckless driving has been a priority for elected officials. Police data shows the number of crashes declined yearly from 2021 to 2023. This year, Milwaukee is on pace to remain about the same as last year. As of July 8, there have been 7,429 crashes in Milwaukee this year. Last year, there were 14,487 crashes in the full year.
Johnson oversaw engineering changes made to streets that encourage people to slow down. Bump-outs or curb cutouts were added to some streets resulting in the removal of drivable lanes.
Gov. Tony Evers also signed legislation last year addressing reckless driving. The laws increase penalties for reckless driving and for attempting to flee police. The governor also increased funding for driver's education.
Norman said one of the big misconceptions about reckless driving is that it is one demographic causing the chaos on the roads. “I go around in an unmarked vehicle,” he said. “I see those who look like they could be soccer moms, I see delivery drivers running red lights, I see young ones.”
Preventing domestic violence is a team effort
Lakeyshia Timmons was a mother of eight. Latonia Ford was a public school teacher, mother of two and grandmother of one.
Timmons and Ford are among the 18 people dead due to domestic violence so far this year in Milwaukee, according to the Sojourner Family Peace Center. One death is still pending and two of the 18 deaths were suicides.
In 2023, there were 42 domestic violence-related homicides. Roughly 80% of the deaths are committed with firearms.
Domestic violence-related homicides began creeping up in mid-2019 when 30 deaths occurred, up from 16 in 2018, said Carmen Pitre, the center's president and CEO.
Once the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, deaths continued to climb. In 2020, there were 51 domestic violence-related deaths, followed by 40 in 2021, 49 in 2022, and 38 in 2023.
Pitre said "COVID made everything that was already bad, worse."
"We are elated that crime is down. But violence in our homes is not," Pitre said. "That remains persistently high.”
Pitre said the lack of basic necessities such as permanent housing and food insecurity keeps people "locked in places" where there is a lack of safety.
Since 2017, a team consisting of representatives from Sojourners, the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office, Milwaukee Police Department and the state Department of Corrections meet twice a week. Lately, they are reviewing what are considered 30 to 40 high-risk cases a week.
Pitre said these cases are the tip of the iceberg, cases where these officials know there is lethal violence occurring in the home.
"What that means is there are many more cases that are almost at a homicide or on their way to becoming a homicide,” shesaid. “That is what is frightening for us.”
Norman said the “heart” of the domestic violence problem for himis the lack of understanding and investing in those with mental health concerns and people with past trauma. “We're just using a Band-Aid” on a more serious wound without addressing that, he said.
Milwaukee police chief on Trump's 'horrible city' comment
Given the state of crime in Milwaukee, Norman said he wouldn’t use the word “horrible” to describe his hometown.
“I understand the beauty of this city,” he said. “I understand there’s so many different things that is offered, ... whether it’s enjoying the water, whether it’s enjoying our culture, heritage in regards to different food offerings, whether we want to enjoy the arts, enjoy parks that is nationally recognized. I love this city.”
Norman leads a department whose officer union has not endorsed anyone in the presidential race, although the Milwaukee Police Association endorsed Trump in 2020. Norman, along with several chiefs, went to the White House and met with President Joe Biden in February.
Norman first joined the department in 1996. He may be leaving Milwaukee and his post as chief as it's been reported that he has applied for another job. He said he remains focused on Milwaukee and the Republican National Convention set to begin Monday downtown.
When asked if he is quitting, Norman replies, “I’m dealing with the RNC right now. I’m dealing with the safety of the city. That’s my focus right now.”
Drake Bentley can be reached at DBentley1@gannett.com or 414-391-5647.
Where to find help
Milwaukee's Office of Community Wellness of Safety recommends these resources for free support:
414Life outreach and conflict mediation support: 414-439-5525.
Milwaukee County's 24-Hour Mental Health Crisis Line: 414-257-7222.
Milwaukee's Child Mobile Crisis and Trauma Response Team: 414-257-7621.
National crisis text line: Text HOPELINE to 741741 to text with a trained crisis counselor.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is800-799-7233.
