MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee County is on track to record a 70 percent spike in homicides, 30 percent increase in fatal overdoses and a 26 percent increase in fatal auto accidents.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office released the data in a Twitter post Tuesday afternoon, comparing this year's increase in fatal incidents to last year's.
If current trends continue, Milwaukee County on track to record a 70 percent increase in homicides, a 30 percent increase in OD's, and a 26 percent increase in motor vehicle fatalities.
— Medical Examiner (@mkemedexamine) December 15, 2020
The city and the county have already surpassed the record of homicides this year, last set in 1991.
The debate continues on how best to decrease the grim numbers in our area.
On Tuesday, the Milwaukee Common Council rejected a grant that would have increased the police force by 30 positions. While some say a larger police force will be better positioned to prevent homicides and other fatal incidents, others point to police reform and a larger response by social services and related methods.
Then there is the issue of access to hard drugs that lead to overdoses, and the conditions that may lead to deadly accidents - issues that have only gotten worse in many cities across the country this year.
