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Police tape
The Milwaukee Police Department recently released the MPD Violent Crime Prevention Plan, a 45-page document that details future police efforts to address violence in the city. The plan includes strategies of community engagement, crime reduction partnerships and district-level crime prevention.
One focus of the plan is on domestic violence recidivism and victimization. The MPD has placed several officers on the Domestic Violence High-Risk Team. The goal is to work with service providers, faith-based leaders and non-profit organizations in areas of high concentrations of violent crime to focus on identifying and solving problems.
Depending on the statistical source, the recidivism rate for domestic violence in Wisconsin can be between 38% and 68% (within five years of the incident). Three-fifths of individuals convicted of domestic violence are rearrested within two years, and 67% of this group are rearrested for other domestic violence offenses.
From anecdotal experience in the central city in 2022, I have seen police officers more engaged with neighborhood residents than in the past. Nearly three months into 2023, overall crime is actually down from 2022. Yet I wonder if the public would actually read a 45-page document filled with charts and statistics?
I decided to find out how Milwaukee’s leaders and influencers feel about the new Crime Prevention Plan. For instance, the Plan states: “Direct relationships with community partners to understand the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ (will be) used to focus on geographic areas with high concentrations of violence. The ‘how’ and the ‘why’ are instrumental in building the appropriate tactics and strategies to target crime best suited to the needs of the community.”
In his year and a half in office, Police Chief Jeffrey Norman has strongly emphasized community engagement for law enforcement and has appeared at many community events. “Firearm related violence is becoming harder to predict,” he said. “I am noticing that so many incidents are occurring for petty arguments and interpersonal conflict. I struggle to wrap my head around this. We must work together to rid our community of violence. I am committed to strengthening our partnerships with community organizations, our elected officials and every resident who wants to participate in shaping public safety in Milwaukee.”
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Norman added that a pillar of his 2023 violent crime plan is dedicating resources to reduce domestic violence recidivism and victimization. This comes after a record 2022 year in overall murders and an increase in domestic violence-related homicides.
“Domestic violence is the root cause of a significant amount of violence in our city,” Norman emphasized. “We are facing a crisis like I’ve never seen.” That is why he has redeployed police officers to focus on the most dangerous domestic violence cases, namely seven officers on the Domestic Violence High-Risk Team.
Community Leaders React
For reaction to the Crime Plan, I consulted some of Milwaukee’s community leaders and organizers, the very people the Plan would like to include.
“My reaction is somewhat confused,” said Antonia Drew Norton, who for 37 years has headed the Asha Project, devoted to assisting women of color who have been domestically abused. “First and foremost, there is a lack of discussion in this plan on the inclusion of culturally specific Domestic Violence providers led by people of color. They are the ones experiencing the most dangerous and deadly domestic violence events. Out of the record number of domestic and intimate partner homicides in 2022, maybe one of those victims showed up on the DVHRT’s (Domestic Violence High-Risk Team Model) radar. However, that victim still died. Unless the MPD directly works with the culturally specific programs to identify high risk victims, it will continue to be an ineffective use of resources.”
I contacted Tory Lowe, 101.7 Black Talk Radio afternoon show host, a thoughtful advocate with powerful opinions. At one time, he was the most requested domestic violence advocate in the area. He once told me, “I fight for victims. Victims of loss, injustice, crime, abuse, and marginalization.” When I asked him about the Crime Plan, he told me, “Many times it’s not about the plan of action. It’s about the transparency of the government organizations that are coming up with the plan. Without transparency there is no trust. Without trust it will be extremely difficult to execute the plan. This plan is simply not going to work because there is no transparency with any of these organizations.”
Tory went on, “In the past, there have been many plans presented by these same groups of people, but things continue to get worse. So, the problem is deeper than presenting a plan. Many people don’t believe in the government organizations who have not been transparent with the public, but they still ask for our trust.”
Next, I turned to Tracey Dent, the Black community outreach leader for Milwaukee Crime Stoppers, a volunteer organization that encourages members of the community to assist law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime by overcoming fear and apathy, which inhibit community involvement. Tracey has been a long-time supporter of police.
“I did not see Crime Stoppers included in the MPD Crime Plan,” he told me. “Crime Stoppers can be the vehicle between the community and the police department because there is a lot of distrust between residents and the police. The plan needs to utilize the boots on the ground, community organizers and leaders like myself, Vaun Mayes and Tory Lowe. But I do like that the Crime Plan targets high crime areas. I would also like to see more beat cops walking the neighborhoods.”
I said that Chief Norman once told me there are not enough police officers to act as beat cops. Tracey responded, “The MPD could use auxiliary police officers.” Police auxiliaries are a volunteer group that augments the regular police force in times of emergency and approved by the Chief of Police.
Probably the most active Black community organizer in Milwaukee, Vaun Mayes, knows almost everyone in his inner city Sherman Park neighborhood and has hundreds of followers who look to him for help and advice.
Vaun told me, “I think it’s great anytime government and law enforcement roll out some new plan or strategies to address the pressing issues in our communities. Hell, they are supposed to. I especially appreciate the keying in on domestic violence from Chief Norman, because if anyone knows that is needed, it’s me. What we do not see and did not hear, aside from a name or two, where is the community involvement? Where are the partnerships and supported efforts of grass roots and prevention-centered work? There’s a continuous conversation about silos and folks not working together.”
He expanded, “There’s too much room to have us all appear continuously adversarial, which I perceive from our end. The city should be working with the community and its efforts, not competing or ignoring our efforts, especially when the goal is supposed to be reducing crime, making neighborhoods safer, and empowering residents to be able to save themselves in a sense. All our efforts are successful and proven. It only makes sense to support us, and I hope we see a day in Milwaukee when folks put down politics and stop worrying about what outsiders will say or think. That means including everyone possible at the table. In the meanwhile, we will continue to do our people all a free service. We are volunteers.”
City Leaders React
Chief Norman shares Vaun’s frustrations. He said police are working to interrupt domestic violence incidents, but it is difficult work. “The challenge is real. We have almost half of our homicides identified as incidents of argument, conflict issues or domestic violence. There are a lot of opportunities, but there's a wide variety of challenges behind that.”
I contacted Office of Violence Prevention Director Ashanti Hamilton, but he referred me to the mayor. However, Hamilton recently said that solving this problem comes down to building trust. “The residents should trust they can share intimate things happening in their family without it being punitive. Without the fear of losing their children. Without the fear of talking about a domestic violence incident in their family.”
And so, I contacted Mayor Cavalier Johnson. Through his office, he said, “The violent crime plan is tailored to the needs of each part of the city. Milwaukee finished 2022 with some positive crime trends. Homicides were up, but violent crime, overall, was down compared to the previous year. Into the third month of 2023, the crime numbers continue to head in the right direction.” In addition, he recently said, “Let me make this clear. I want additional resources for our police. I want more police officers in our city, and I want support for other approaches including prevention and early intervention. And I am fighting to get those resources for Milwaukee.”
The Milwaukee Fire & Police Commission oversees the Milwaukee Police Department and hires the police chief. I contacted FPC chair Ed Fallone. “The Crime Plan is a blueprint for collaborations between MPD and community partners that are focused on the underlying causes of violent crime, and that will have the effect of reducing violent crime in our neighborhoods,” Fallone said. “The next step will be to monitor the impact of the plan in order to see if it is making a difference.”
The most recent data shows that Wisconsin domestic violence homicides increased by 150% from 2019 to 2020, 250% from 2015 to 2020, and 300% from 2010 to 2020.
