MILWAUKEE — A positive trend in the first few months in Milwaukee, as violent crime is down. The Milwaukee Police Department released the crime statistics from the first quarter of 2025, showcasing the decrease in “Part 1” crimes, which includes violent offenses such as aggravated assaults, rape, and arson.
“Violent crime is down 18% when compared to the first quarter of 2024,” said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson. “We did see a small increase as it relates to homicides, and that’s certainly a concern.”
“For this quarter, there were two more homicides than at the same time last year,” said Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman. “One homicide is one too many.”
While Mayor Johnson acknowledged that serious crime is down, which is a priority for him, Chief Norman specifically called out negligent handling of firearms, which he called “unacceptable on all levels”.
Chief Norman cited the recent charges filed against a mother and uncle in the death of a six-year-old boy from Milwaukee. “A six year old died because of easy access to firearms,” he said. “This young child was only a couple days from his birthday… Three adults knew that the gun was unsecured and accessible to a six-year-old child. The child’s uncle–a felon on probation–thought it was cool to send videos of himself dancing around guns with a six-year-old kid in the background. Mom sees this video, expresses no concers that uncle has guns around her kid or that uncle is a felon, who shouldn’t have guns in the first place.”
“If this is the case in your household around your space, you will be held accountable”, he said. “Lock up those guns, protect your children, practice gun safety. It is important for your community. It is important for all of us.”
In addition to the crime statistics, the Milwaukee Police Department released its 2025 Violent Crime Reduction Plan, representing the department’s overall strategy for reducing gun violence across the city. This is an update to the plan released in 2023, reflecting new strategies, initiatives, and changes in violent crime prevention.
