MILWAUKEE – New data released by Milwaukee Police indicates several categories of crime are trending down to start 2024.
The statistics show what the department refers to as “Part One” crimes (homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, human trafficking, burglary, theft, auto theft, and arson) are down 10 percent between January 1st and March 31st compared to the same period in 2023, and down 26 percent compared to 2022. The highest drop in crime was homicides, with 23 recorded in Milwaukee so far in 2024 compared to 50 in the same window of 2022 and 38 in 2023.
“Overall, there are no simple solutions to crime and increasing safety in our community,” said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson just ahead of his inauguration ceremony Tuesday. “That’s why in my administration we employ an ‘all-of-the-above’ approach.”
The lone category MPD says has shown any uptick is carjackings, which at 80 total in 2024 is up four percent from 2022 but down 26 percent from 2023.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Milwaukee Crime Report: Total offenses fall as carjackings & human trafficking spike
Car crashes overall were down slightly year-over-year, with 3,415 on Milwaukee streets in 2024 compared to 3,423 in 2023.
Still, despite the positive trends, city leadership says more needs to be done to make Milwaukee safe for all.
“We continue calling you…to intervene [with] and educate our young adults that we must not bring harm to each other or to our property,” added Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman.
Head of the Office for Community Wellness & Safety Ashanti Hamilton says more outreach will be coming from city leadership this year targeting parents of youth most susceptible to criminal activity. “We want to move forward building a partnership that allows parents to connect with resources to allow them to get the assistance that they need when helping to keep their children safe.”
Mayor Johnson pointed to the city’s Camp RISE program as a success story in those efforts; the summer program was started in 2022 as a way to deter children ages 10-15 from stealing cars. “We’ve engaged 200 young men of color each year that we’ve been doing that program.” The quarter one data indicates 1,295 auto thefts have occurred in Milwaukee so far this year, down 10 percent from 2023.
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