Photo by Tom Jenz
Cavalier Johnson in Bucks jersey, on his left, Tanya Sheriff
I met up with Alderman Cavalier Johnson on a community walk where he was guided around a neighborhood by a constituent who points out problems. The constituent was Tanya Sheriff, 33-year resident of West Custer Street. As Alderman, Johnson oversees the 2nd District, but he is also President of the Common Council and second in line to be mayor. He is a compact, powerful young government executive, but he comes across as soft-spoken and confident. He was accompanied by city inspectors and police personnel who were there to help identify problems.
Tanya Sheriff told us, “The issue is not on our street. We’re all homeowners on Custer. The criminal activity takes place across the street on 91st, mainly at night. It gets pretty wild, noisy, drug dealing, reckless drivers, drunks.”
Johnson took the lead, and we started on out West Custer, dodged traffic across the 91st Street to the smell of exhaust, the whine of tires. We walked along the corridor of duplex rentals. Some houses were occupied, and some had boarded up windows.
Sheriff said, “A lot of these duplex rentals are owned by absentee landlords. There are nights when some of the vacant houses have open windows. People trespass, climb in and out. I’ve seen hypodermic needles on the ground. Some nights, it’s so noisy, I can’t sleep. This area is part of the northwest triangle. Here in the triangle, we’re concerned about criminal issues, drug dealing, prostitution, reckless driving.”
Absentee Landlords, Reckless Drivers
Johnson replied, “The landlords are responsible for keeping these houses secure. Some are absentee owners and they don’t check on their properties. As the alderman, I can use my enforcement powers to tell police and city inspectors to alert landlords on neglect issues.”
We stopped in front of 5371 91st. The lot was unkempt, windows boarded up, some wide open. A city inspector went around back to check the problems. Sheriff said, “That’s another big issue. Reckless driving. I lost my son to reckless driving. I can’t even talk about it. A pain that don’t go away. Pain is so bad, some days I can’t get out of bed. I’ve got two more children, 30 and 39. One of my biggest fears is losing them, too.”
Says Johnson: “I have three kids, one ten and 3 year old twins. I can’t imagine losing them. At city hall, we’re constantly working on reckless driving issues. We started by getting universal driver education back in Milwaukee Public Schools. We also changed the no pursuit policy. There had been a rule that police could not chase reckless drivers. That meant the drivers could do whatever they wanted to without being pursued.
“But we changed back. Now police can pursue reckless drivers or stolen cars. We also worked with Police Chief Norman and launched the Traffic Safety Unit where some officers spend everyday just focusing on traffic laws. They’ve given out 8,000 to 10,000 tickets. Finally, we are attempting to work with the state to get curb extensions to stop people from passing on the right, which is a classic maneuver for reckless drivers. We’d like the state to allow us to put cameras on certain corners to record reckless driving, but the state said ‘No.’ The camera idea was to record the speeder’s license plate and send out a ticket, instead of a police officer having to sit at every corner.”
The Litter Problem
As we walked and talked, we found some litter scattered along the curbs and sidewalks. Litter is ubiquitous in the central city.
Says Johnson, “I often talk about the litter problem. It’s a work in progress. Of course, we in city government send out crews to pick up litter and trash, but I think it is also a community and individual responsibility. We need to think of our city as a collective home. If you’re not throwing garbage on your kitchen floor, why throw it on the streets? And it makes no financial sense either. When we send out crews to do trash pickup, it’s the citizens who have to pay out of their rents or property taxes. Every time you throw something on the ground, you are literally taking your own money, and tossing it away because the city has to hire somebody to pick it up. When neighborhoods look good and they’re clean, it gives people a sense pride in their community.”
The New Chief?
Changing the subject, can we talk about the controversial question of hiring a police chief? Milwaukee has had two interim police chiefs since the FPC fired Chief Morales last fall and now it looks like the government is forking out $626,000 to buy him out. I’ve had residents ask me how the Fire and Police Commission works.
Says Johnson, “The FPC made a mistake in firing Morales in the fashion they did last August. They did not follow procedure. Keep in mind that FBC members are not elected. They are appointed. It’s s state law. The city council would like to hire a police chief but cannot do so.”
Violence Prevention
One of the biggest problems in the central city is crime and also violence, fights, domestic abuse, shootings, assaults, and they are on the rise in 2021. The Office of Violence Prevention is supposed to help with this concern. Oddly, it is placed under the health department, not the police. Some residents I’ve talked to feel as if this office isn’t doing enough.
Says Johnson, “I think the Office of Violence Prevention has been effective, at least before 2020 when COVID hit. There was a spike in crimes in 2020, and it continues so far in 2021. But the four years prior to that, we saw fewer homicides and shootings.”
We arrived at a low-slung motel with eight or 10 units on Appleton Avenue, cars crowded in front the doors. Tanya Sherivv brought up prostitution and drug dealing happening at this motel. “This is where a young lady lost her life to a drug overdose. There is a lot of prostitution here and in the Northwest Triangle.”
Says Johnson, “My 2nd district ends across the street but I will make 5th District Alderperson Nikiya Dodd aware of the problem. There should have been a police report on that death which would go to Alderman Dodd and the licensing committee. There was a problem motel in my district, but we worked to get that under control.”
Biggest Challenges
Tanya Sheriff bid goodbye, and President Johnson and I headed back to our cars. I used the opportunity to bring up some other issues. If you could pinpoint the biggest current problems or challenges in the city and in the central city, what would those be?
Says Johnson, “There is a surface level problem and then a root level problem. On the surface level, there are issues around public safety. We probably get more complaints about reckless driving than anything else. Then, there are shootings, not just killings, but individuals who carelessly handle guns. A couple months ago, there was an incident at Midtown Mall that started as a water balloon fight and ended with 300 shots being fired in a long sequence of gunfire. That was dangerous and reckless.
“In a nearby neighborhood, there are senior citizens who have worked all their lives, own properties, and just want quiet and peace. I believe there are two things we need to address: education and employment, tandem issues. With quality education and good jobs, we could reduce the crime and violence we see featured on the 10 O’Clock News. If educated people have good jobs, that translates to stability in our neighborhoods. If people can own homes, the neighborhoods won’t be so transient. There can be families again, parents sending their kids to colleges, maybe save money. If you have a good paying job, you keep your family and your life in check.
“When I was a boy, I’m walkin’ down North Avenue, and I see windows busted out, stores shuttered, or I go into a store and nobody looks like me. That atmosphere can affect the psyche of young people who think that environment is normal but it’s not normal.”
I was recently walking east on North Avenue from Fond du Lac, a troubled area. But I saw improvements, a few new businesses, rehabbed buildings, new apartments. I’d never walked 17th Street but discovered an oasis of gorgeous old homes rehabbed and repainted, all owned by Black families. If there were more streets like this one, that would improve community and neighborhood pride.
Says Johnson, “When you have pride in your neighborhoods and home ownership, dignity returns. We’ve been missing that pride and dignity, and we need to rebuild those values. But you need those twin engines of education and economics with good paying jobs in order to make that happen. I grew up in the north side all over the place, North Avenue, 19th and Center, 20th and Wright, and I commuted to Bay View high school on the south side. My first job was at the downtown YMCA. I take an interest in what’s happening all across Milwaukee.”
What are your responsibilities as the President of the City Council? I know you are next in line to be Mayor if he resigns or is incapacitated. But what about everyday issues.
“The city council members are independently elected. I’m not their boss. The 40,000 residents in each of their districts are their bosses,” he replies. “My job is to appoint various members to standing committees including the chairman of each committee. I conduct the common council meetings.”
Alderman Johnson’s 2nd district boundaries are Capital Drive on the south, Mill Road on the north, 60th Street on the east, and Appleton Avenue all the way up to 107th Street on the west. He encourages residents to contact him for any problems.
