MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee community will have an opportunity to weigh-in on a bill that would place red light cameras at intersections across the city.
The hearing on the Safe Streets Save Lives Act, Senate Bill 375, would place five red light cameras in each aldermanic district. The bill would expire after five years.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson empahsized the necessity of the bill at Monday’s press conference.
“What ​I’ve ​said ​constantly ​is ​that ​when ​people ​decide ​to ​break the ​law, ​when ​they ​decide ​to ​hurt ​people, ​if ​we ​don’t ​hold ​them ​accountable, ​then ​they ​believe ​that ​that ​gives ​them ​license ​to ​go ​to ​some ​other ​neighborhood ​​to ​hurt ​somebody ​else ​and ​damage ​somebody ​else’s ​property. ​And ​I’m ​sick ​and ​tired ​of ​that. ​I ​think ​people ​in ​Milwaukee ​are ​sick ​and ​tired ​of ​that. ​And ​we ​should ​have ​every ​single ​tool ​possibly ​available ​to ​us ​in ​order ​to ​curb ​that ​sort ​of ​behavior,” says Johnson.
Johnson has taken a variety of approaches to public safety including new bike lanes and redisigning streets.
State Senator Dora Drake has been at the front of the battle to pass the bill. She says that this time feels different.
“I ​do ​think ​that ​there’s ​more ​support ​from ​it, ​not ​just ​from ​the ​community ​alone. ​People ​are ​just ​frustrated ​and ​they’re ​angry ​about ​what’s ​happening. ​We ​shouldn’t ​have ​to ​have ​​loss ​of ​life ​be ​the ​reason ​why ​we ​create ​legislation. ​Knowing ​that ​this ​bill ​finally ​got ​bipartisan ​support, ​where ​it ​gets ​a ​hearing ​is ​the ​first ​step ​that ​we ​haven’t  ​seen ​ever. ​I’m ​excited ​that ​because ​of ​their ​work ​and ​what ​we’ve ​been ​able ​to ​do, ​that ​we ​finally ​get ​it ​to ​a ​public ​hearing.”
Drake says that traffic ​injuries ​and ​fatalities ​in ​Milwaukee ​have ​surged ​by ​86% ​since ​2012, ​contrasting ​with ​the ​6% ​decrease ​statewide.
