Downtown Milwaukee shootings, mayor outlines safety plan

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said he's taking steps to reduce recent late-night violence downtown.

Recent downtown violence

The backstory:

There were multiple downtown shootings last month. On July 12, two people shot near Water and Michigan died; friends and family identified one of the victims as Antwan Hogans, who also went by the name "OG Tweezy."

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A week later on July 19, police said someone shot and killed a man near Broadway and Juneau. Loved ones identified that victim as 21-year-old Raymond Wilson.

"A few rabble-rousers decide to make decisions and choices to come down here and ruin it for everyone else," said Johnson.

Addressing the violence

What they're saying:

After the violent July, Milwaukee's mayor revealed plans he hopes will keep people safe. That includes more police. How many? The Milwaukee Police Department wouldn't say.

"We are going to have an excess of officers than we typically would have this time of year," said MPD District 1 Capt. Robert Thiel.

MPD said it will bring in officers from other districts and divisions.

The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office will also help. They're bringing in a mobile booking unit. Milwaukee police officers will still arrest and ticket offenders.

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"It'll help us to keep our law enforcement officers of the Milwaukee Police Department on the beat, on patrol here downtown, instead of transporting those after they get arrested," Johnson added.

FOX6 News got hold of public records revealing police haven't been ticketing much on Water Street between State and Knapp for loitering, kids out after curfew, noise, illegal drugs, and open alcohol. This summer through July 30, MPD issued a total of seven citations for those infractions; in the previous four summers, they issued a total of four.

"That seems awfully low to what I know of, but we are definitely stepping up enforcement," Thiel said.

The mayor's plan includes going after curfew-breakers. During the summer, the curfew is 11 p.m. for anyone under the age of 17. The mayor also said police were going to heighten enforcement of those illegally carrying weapons near schools.

Police also plan to do more spot bar checks, which means they'll pop in unannounced to bars, look around, and then depart.

The mayor's plan also includes using flashing red traffic lights in the Water Street area, along with drones observing from above.

The mayor discussed limits on food trucks. City ordinance in 2023 already stopped food trucks from operating downtown after 1 a.m.

Another step the mayor says the city is taking: limiting e-scooters from traveling on Water Street and in the downtown entertainment district after 8 p.m. In fact, for years, the scooters already de-activated in the Water Street entertainment district after 8 p.m.

"I’m championing solutions. Downtown will be safer. Downtown is, and it will be the center of our entertainment economy," said Johnson. "Downtown is and will continue to be a welcoming place for everybody who wants to come and to have fun."

"A lot of those items probably could have been done proactively at the beginning of summer, because the incidents we've had are not new," said Milwaukee Alderman Robert Bauman. "We've had basically some level of violence and disorder for the last four summers, I would say.

"The issue boils down to the number of police personnel that are available, because if they start issuing tickets or making arrests on a broad scale, word would go out, social media will pick that up. And I think it'll be a deterrent for people to carry on that type of behavior."

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