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Milwaukee committee to tackle street takeovers
Milwaukee city officials are stepping up efforts to curb the recent surge in dangerous street takeovers, after police say they responded to nearly 20 incidents over one weekend late last month.
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee city officials are stepping up efforts to curb the recent surge in dangerous street takeovers, after police say they responded to nearly 20 incidents over one weekend late last month.
Local perspective:
Alderman Scott Spiker, who chairs the city’s Public Safety and Health Committee, said arrests alone haven’t been enough.
On Thursday, Sept. 11, the committee is set to meet with Milwaukee police, the sheriff’s office, the district attorney and other stakeholders to discuss short- and long-term solutions.
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"We did have three arrests, but we didn't have a broad enough response to actually deter the behavior," Spiker said. "Short-term, the solution is to use the tools we have to make sure we're using them as aggressively as we can."
Spiker said aggressive prosecution and tougher penalties are among the tools on the table.
"It's only through examples where there are real penalties that can be made clear to other would-be offenders that you get real deterrence," he said.
What they're saying:
Police Chief Jeffrey Norman described the events as unpredictable "pop-ups" that make it difficult for law enforcement to respond proactively.
"These are pop-ups. This is not something that's always planned regarding street takeovers," Norman said. "So it's difficult to be in front of this from a planning preplanning. All we can do is be ready."
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City leaders have pledged to tow cars, arrest drivers and even cite spectators, but a proposed $500 fine for onlookers has yet to advance in the Milwaukee Common Council.
"Eventually, somebody's going to get killed or seriously hurt," Spiker said.
For Spiker, he said examples need to be made of people before an already out-of-hand situation goes from bad to worse.
Milwaukee street takeovers; Common Council addresses the chaos
Milwaukee streets flooded by reckless and unruly drivers. These are called street takeovers – and the city's Common Council is now addressing the chaos.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.