Milwaukee is putting the brakes on reckless driving with a multifaceted approach, introducing sterner measures and more authority for law enforcement to tackle the issue head-on. Recent gatherings of Milwaukee community leaders and stakeholders have spotlighted this initiative's groundbreaking steps. On Tuesday, the Milwaukee Police Chief, alongside District Attorney Kent Lovern, detailed the dire statistics on the city's battle with reckless driving. "The crime of fleeing is a charge that we have issued 900 times now each in the last three years and the juvenile and adult level both. Those are felony offenses and sometimes the reckless driving cases you see," Lovern explained in an interview with WISN.
Backing the police authority, a new law signed by Governor Tony Evers empowers officers to impound vehicles implicated in reckless driving on their first offense, a provision that had been notably absent. Despite these positive steps, Jenny Lupo of Enough is Enough voiced concerns to WISN about youthful offenders and lenient sentences, remarking, "Many of the drivers and the defendants we see in court are very young 17 - 18, which is sad but I do feel like we are way too lenient with our sentences."
The Milwaukee Common Council unanimously voted in favor of a new ordinance, further tightening the reins on reckless motorists. Alderman Lamont Westmoreland, who pressed for the ordinance, saw it as a critical move to plug loopholes. In a statement, he expressed his gratitude, “As the sponsor of the original Common Council file nearly two years ago and as the nonstop driver to get the common-sense change in state law across the finish line, this is great news – and positive news for better safety in the future on Milwaukee streets. I want to send my sincere thanks to Governor Evers for his support,” WTMJ reported the council's stride towards more stringent road safety.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson signed an ordinance aimed at increasing penalties for reckless drivers. At a town hall, City Attorney Evan Goyke told attendees, "We're gonna convict you of the charge," according to the Journal Sentinel. Conviction rates for reckless driving in Milwaukee have risen to nearly 90%, up from roughly 33% in 2023.
