Milwaukee police will add more patrols to Water Street this weekend in an effort to curb violence in the downtown entertainment district, despite serious staffing shortages that have community members concerned about coverage in other neighborhoods.
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During a three-hour Common Council meeting, Milwaukee Police Department representatives detailed their challenges in addressing safety concerns on Water Street while facing significant staffing deficits.
"All I heard from MPD is that we're short staffed, we're stretched thin," said Alex Ayala, president of the Milwaukee Police Association.
The department is currently understaffed by 250 positions this year, according to Ayala, creating difficult choices about resource allocation across the city.
"The answer here is we need more officers. I've been saying this for months, I've been saying this for years," Ayala said.
Watch: Milwaukee police to increase Water Street patrols despite staffing concerns
As TMJ4 listened to community members, it became clear that many residents worry increased police presence downtown will leave other neighborhoods vulnerable. This reflects a broader concern about equitable public safety resources throughout Milwaukee.
Ellame Tatum expressed frustration about the potential impact on emergency response in other areas.
"It is not exactly the best idea," Tatum said. "It's annoying to say the least when we call and we can't get that help. Then we are less likely to call for help when we need it."
Josephine Jurack, who works at Neighborhood House, a northside nonprofit, shared similar concerns.
"I understand why we would want more people on Water Street but I do think that Water Street is already bulked up enough with police," Jurack said. "They need to be in spaces that involve a lot of issues such as homelessness, teens on the street."
The staffing challenges continue to mount as recruitment efforts fall short. This month, Milwaukee Police will graduate 25 new officers, significantly below their target of 65 recruits.
"Retention and recruiting is at its worst. So where are they going to get these officers to implement these plans? They don't have them," Ayala said.
We're working to understand how the department plans to balance these competing priorities. TMJ4 reached out to Milwaukee Police for comment on staffing numbers and the decision to add more officers to Water Street but did not receive a response.
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