2026 Milwaukee crime data; city leaders report on 1st half of year
Milwaukee crime trending down, but problems remain
New numbers show Milwaukee crime is down compared to this time last year. That's despite viral social media video showing violence over the weekend. At a news conference, city leaders talked about what is helping and hindering progress.
MILWAUKEE - The City of Milwaukee released new numbers on Tuesday, July 7, showing overall crime is down compared to this time last year.
It comes after social media video of fights at Summerfest and fireworks injuring a police officer went viral on the Fourth of July weekend.
Overall crime trending down
What we know:
The new numbers show that "Part I" crimes have decreased by 7%. These include incidents like homicides, robberies, aggravated assaults, non-fatal shootings, and carjackings.
"These numbers are very positive," said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson.
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At a press conference on Tuesday, the Milwaukee Police Department also announced a 98% homicide clearance rate.
"This is a testament to the tireless work of the men and women of the Milwaukee Police Department," said Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman.
City leaders said that is where the focus should be — on the downward trend of crime. But they said viral violent acts overshadow the progress.
Two Milwaukee officers hurt over Fourth of July weekend
Two Milwaukee female officers were injured on duty over the weekend. Police said one was hit by a car, while the other was hurt by fireworks.
4th of July weekend incidents
What we know:
For example, there is a lot of attention on Milwaukee's 4th of July weekend.
On Sunday, one officer was hurt by an explosion of fireworks in a parking lot near Cambridge and Brady streets.
About two hours later, another officer was hit by a fleeing suspect's car at Knapp and Water. This led to an officer-involved shooting.
Norman said both officers are physically okay.
City leaders said social media and people not knowing how to behave fuel chaos in the city.
"Many times, a trend or an incident of violence happens, the first thing that people do is they whip out their phone, or they go live," Johnson said.
"The glorification of our bad behavior on social media perpetuates the behavior," Norman said. "I don't know if everybody understands. Every time you want to do a click or a like of these bad behaviors, you're enabling."
What's working
Big picture view:
When it comes to what is working, city leaders said community partnerships are key.
The director of the city's Department of Community Wellness and Safety said the department's street outreach and violence intervention efforts have helped curb crime.
"We responded to hundreds of incidents and successfully mediated 62 conflicts before they escalated into further violence," said Karin Tyler, director of the Department of Community Wellness and Safety.
Johnson agreed, but said they are looking at things to do better.
"I think, obviously, there is more that needs to be done just going back to the previous question of where we can't go, like regulating social media companies. I wish we could, we can't," Johnson said. "But if there are more innovative ways that we can work to address issues, issues like we saw this past weekend, I want to have those conversations."
Johnson said he is having conversations on ways to further address crime, but could not share anything concrete.
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Meanwhile, Norman said the Milwaukee Police Department is working on recruitment to help with staffing issues.
He did not have numbers on where the department currently stands.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Darronte Matthews and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
MPD crime data press conference
By the numbers:
The Milwaukee Police Department released its mid-year crime report, providing data from the first six months of 2026, on Tuesday, July 7.
With the mid-year review, Milwaukee police say homicides have decreased 30% – down to 49 from 70 this time in 2025. Property crime is down 7%. Auto thefts are down 22% – down to 2,092 from 2,668 this time in 2025.
Officials noted that in 2026, the homicide clearance rate is 98%.
In 2026 compared to 2025:
- Crashes increased 9% – up to 7,475 from 6,850 this time in 2025.
- Hit-and-run crashes increased 3% – up to 2,693 from 2,616 this time in 2025.
- Fatalities decreased 17% – down to 15 from 18 this time in 2025.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee Police Department.