MILWAUKEE — As the year wraps up, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeff Norman sits down to talk about where things stand in the city with reckless driving.
"We are taking it just as seriously as the first day when I took over in this office,” said Norman.
The Milwaukee Police Chief says reckless driving remains a top priority for the department. He points to the success of the Traffic Safety Unit. He says there has been a 17-percent decrease in crashes within the city in the past year.
"The numbers show we have that type of improvement in terms of crashes and the accountability effort, whether it is tows or whether it is citations,” said Norman.
Under a new program that started in May of this year, Milwaukee Police say they can tow unregistered vehicles driving recklessly. So far, they have towed 166 vehicles.
However, deaths are on the rise. More people have died in crashes this year compared to all of last year, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. There were 72 crash deaths in all of 2021 and there have been 77 so far this year.
On top of that, speeding tickets issued by MPD are down from 2021 by 36 percent.
“For one, our reckless driving citations has increased since it began. The challenge is you can look at some enforcement as a glass half empty or a glass half full. So, is there not enough enforcement or is there not a need?" asked Norman.
He admits there are multiple needs within the community that police have to address, including rising violence. Norman says despite budget constraints leaving MPD with less officers and homicides up by 11 percent this year over the last year, the traffic safety unit is still dedicated to daily enforcement.
“There is so much more than just a citation as the only answer. Is it part of the answer? Absolutely, and the Milwaukee Police Department understands that responsibility,” said Norman.
The Milwaukee Police Department thinks what is making the biggest difference in reckless driving is having community partners and grassroots organizations like the Sherman Park Reckless Driving Task Force, Vision Zero, the mayor’s office and others, working with officers saying they want to make a change in the community. As for what Norman plans to focus on for next year, continuing the partnerships and his current model for enforcement.
