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New Water Street safety plan takes effect
After recent trouble downtown, the city of Milwaukee is trying something different to curb crime. The city's new safety plan took effect Friday night.
MILWAUKEE - After recent trouble downtown, the city of Milwaukee is trying something different to curb crime. The city's new safety plan took effect Friday night.
Downtown violence
The backstory:
The new safety plan comes after a violent July. Seven people were shot, including two who died in the Water Street area.
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Mayor Cavalier Johnson said he's had enough.
Downtown Milwaukee shootings, mayor outlines action plan
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said he's taking steps to reduce recent late-night violence downtown.
"I’m championing solutions. Downtown will be safer," he said. "A few rabble-rousers decide to make decisions and choices to come down here and ruin it for everyone else."
Public records show police have only issued 11 tickets for loitering, kids out after curfew, noise, illegal drugs and open alcohol during the summers in this area of Water Street between Knapp and State since 2021.
New safety plan
What's next:
In addition to an added police presence, people downtown will notice flashing lights, drones and other techniques later at night when the city said crimes typically happen.
"We want everyone to come downtown and have a great time," said Milwaukee Police District 1 Capt. Robert Thiel. "We are going to be out in droves to make sure everyone who comes down has a fun and safe time."
The new plan also brings additional officers to Water Street late at night. The Milwaukee Police Department is not saying how many.
Safety measures near intersection of Water and Knapp
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office is also stepping in to help, offering its mobile booking unit to help. MPD officers will still be making arrests, but deputies will now do the booking.
"In the grand scheme of things, some of our challenges downtown haven’t necessarily been a ton of juveniles, but it's been more of the age bracket between 17-20," said Thiel.
"We have a lot of supervision coming on downtown tonight, so we are going to be monitoring it and making adjustments going forward," said Thiel.
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Police will also be upping their curfew enforcement for people under the age of 17 at 11 p.m.
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. The goal is to deter people from loitering. For years, the scooters already de-activated in the Water Street entertainment district after 8 p.m.
The question from those out on Friday night: Will it work? Joel Badulescu lives nearby. He said he welcomes the changes in one of his regular spots, but he's still skeptical.
"Want to avoid the violence – I know it's happening," he said. "I feel like the violence is going to come no matter what…the later it is when cops start to leave is when violence happens."
The Source: FOX6 News interviewed people and gathered information from the Milwaukee Police Department and mayor for this story.