MILWAUKEE, Wis. – A recent uptick in violence around downtown Milwaukee led city leaders to call an emergency meeting of the Public Safety and Health Committee Wednesday.
Within the two hour meeting was a combination of frustration from committee members and concepts of ideas to the problem, but no concrete solutions were ultimately proposed.
“The very first and biggest challenge that we face is human behavior,” said Milwaukee Police Chief of Staff Heather Hough to the committee. “We have people resorting to violence with a complete disregard for the safety of the person who’s the victim of that violence and a complete disregard for the safety of the people around them. And that is bigger than the police can explain.”
Hough and Milwaukee Police inspector Sheronda Grant added the department feels outnumbered when on patrol during violent incidents, noting the so-called “Code Red” area downtown where extra resources are deployed is often short staffed or stretched thin. Last weekend was used as an example, where officers were pulled from other jurisdictions to assist in patrols around Brady Street during the area’s annual festival July 26th.
Ideas floated included enhanced curfew enforcement, replacing wood barriers around the Water Street entertainment district with concrete “Meridian” barriers, and widening a no-ride zone where electric scooters are unable to operate between 8:00pm and 4:00am on certain days of the week.
But Alderman Bob Bauman, who represents much of downtown and co-sponsored the communication file leading to the meeting, didn’t mince his exasperation over a lack of concrete answers from MPD representatives and the Office of Community Wellness and Safety.
”I have to say what I’ve heard today is not very encouraging. It’s pathetic, frankly.” said Bauman.
That anger included an exchange with Grant over whether or not Milwaukee Police have been enforcing open container laws that ban alcoholic beverage consumption on public streets and walkways.
“This is the first time that that’s been brought to my attention,” noted Grant
“You’re not aware [of] there being open containers downtown?” asked Bauman.
“This is the first that has been brought to my attention regarding that,” replied Grant.
“This is hopeless.” commented Bauman.
The meeting comes as the Milwaukee Police Association and the city are negotiating a new contract. MPA President Alexander Ayala has publicly expressed frustration with the proceedings, while noting the officers he represents haven’t earned a raise since 2022.
“The solution isn’t complicated — in fact, one of the clearest and most immediate actions lies directly in the hands of the Mayor: Settle the police contract and start treating public safety like a priority.” read a statement put out by MPA during the Wednesday meeting.
“All these ideas are not going to go anywhere, because we don’t have the staffing to do them,” said Ayala to reporters after the meeting.
READ MORE: “Beyond Shameful”: Milwaukee’s police union frustrated with delays in contract negotiations
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson has not commented publicly on the MPA contract negotiations. His spokesperson, Jeff Fleming, told WTMJ’s John Mercure the administration would not speak on the matter unless information needed to be corrected.
“We want this settled at the bargaining table, not through posturing to outside audiences,” said Fleming.
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman was not in attendance for Wednesday’s meeting. An MPD spokesperson told WTMJ Norman was in executive briefing at the time.
“While communication to the Council and the public is valued and important, the operations of the Department as a whole must always continue.” noted the statement.
Ayala added the staffing situation for the department is so dire, the city is at risk of losing shared revenue based on thresholds set by Wisconsin Act 12. The legislation requires MPD to increase its staffing to 1,725 officers, including 175 detectives, by 2034, which Ayala says the department is short of by about 100 officers.
“So at the end of the year, we might lose shared revenue because the Mayor is not doing what he’s supposed to be doing and giving us a new contract so we can hire more officers,” said Ayala.
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