The Milwaukee Police Department has launched Operation Winter Guardian to address the surge in carjackings, a move reminiscent of its summer counterpart focusing on gun violence. The newly introduced initiative was announced with the intention of deploying additional uniformed officers to immediately intensify their presence in locations as soon as a carjacking is reported. The aim is to rapidly detain suspects and recover stolen vehicles, ultimately mitigating further incidents. "The objective of Operation Winter Guardian is to rapidly deploy extra uniformed personnel to saturate areas where a carjacking incident has just occurred in order to locate and arrest the offenders and prevent further incidents," said the MPD in a statement obtained by Journal Sentinel.
Borrowing strategy from the summer initiative, Operation Winter Guardian also places heavy emphasis on capturing individuals with outstanding carjacking warrants. According to WISN, Police Chief Jeffrey Norman underscored the spike in carjackings, reporting a staggering 504 incidents in 2024—an uptick of 11 percent over the previous year. Norman added, "We know that there's a challenge, especially during the holiday season, in regards to those who want to harm our community, and we'll get ahead of it rather than being reactive to it." Reflecting these concerns, the initiative plans to not just simply arrest offenders but to also engage with community members, reinforcing vigilance and caution during periods of increased vulnerability, such as the holiday shopping season.
The operation, slated to start on Sunday and extend through January 2025, comes in response to the alarming MPD data revealing 2024 as the year with the highest number of carjackings in the past three years. This trend shows an escalation of 29 percent since 2022. In his efforts to provide a proactive response to this escalation, Norman is advising residents to refrain from leaving vehicles running unattended and to remain alert. His insights, conveyed during an exclusive interview with 12 News, included pragmatic advice: "The holiday season is a busy season... We want to be mindful about our behaviors. As you're on your phone, going to family or as you shop, being aware that there's individuals who are unfortunately trying to take advantage of your busyness," Norman told WISN.
The strategy reflects a broader approach that encompasses positive community interactions and constant feedback, conjoined with enforcement actions. The Guardian model has previously yielded measurable results as evidenced by the success of Operation Summer Guardian earlier in 2024, which resulted in 47 arrests alongside the recovery of illegal firearms and significant drug interceptions. "2024 Summer Guardian resulted in 47 arrests, the recovery of 26 illegal firearms, and a significant amount of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamines," divulged officials to FOX 6 Now. Subject to the on-going assessment of carjackings' trends, the police department has indicated that Operation Winter Guardian's duration could be adjusted to accurately respond to local needs.
