[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6688098,"mediaKeyId","2170047-d708bd4d9c47e59a24ad1dc55aa7b35e","parentId",2170047,"title","Committee roundup: traffic controls, appointments, SOP reports and grants moved without objections","audioSeconds",116,"startMs",7400000,"endMs",7516000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2170047-d708bd4d9c47e59a24ad1dc55aa7b35e&start=7400&end=7516","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2170047-d708bd4d9c47e59a24ad1dc55aa7b35e/thumbnail_7400000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6688098/Milwaukee/Milwaukee-County/Wisconsin/Committee-roundup-traffic-controls-appointments-SOP-reports-and-grants-moved-without-objections","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6688098-8c847a0469a6f6af6d095259ed068bc0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189609&Signature=kQCkVl6nx1~YI-yy-NNjrvQx68GH-uVYhwErQt-8hzqEQpGRIKIkmH5apUR34NqRDWb1KNZAQVoGKXcq7PmQKmF9fOssHraupDkfOLNW9j0C-ZyHhkv9UKJVmwVEumBv3g42Bo0uUQaZbsamVu2ehOxqcpdFzcb~yBkVAD12tUZl-0EQ2X-7aTESQHw7r8uFKSvxYTHyWN0dJlzuMmjQ3kVX4Mg49FdK6WW3WvthougWAGbTwcdyRti-i4ikR1wbtyAYJOw~UW2U86c4DJ6OxTO9WCAhqbbxArMrYFY7FVqRSca7JN8D7GKKR15bERpFjmK4IFUYivgZUIi2ji~CmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Milwaukee","date","2025-01-30T08:48:00Z","article","The Milwaukee Common Council Public Safety and Health Committee on Jan. 30 approved multiple routine and substantive items by unanimous consent or placed files on record. Actions included traffic and parking amendments, two confirmed appointments to citizen oversight bodies, an ordinance to codify reporting of standard operating procedures, departmental policy updates placed on file, health program partnership agreements, and a federal grant for forensic ballistic work.

Votes at a glance

- File 241448 (ordinance, public works): Install no‑parking signage at Willow Way & 43rd Street (northeast and southeast corners), no‑parking signage at Vienna & 84th (northwest corner), and a tow‑away zone at Hayes & 8th (southwest corner) to improve visibility and emergency access. Motion moved by Alderman Bergel(l)is; passage recorded by unanimous consent; outcome: approved (no roll‑call recorded).

- File 241449 (ordinance, traffic controls): Replace north/south yield signs with stop signs at Burrell & Van Norman; install a southeastbound stop at Sharon & Congress (T intersection); convert Fillmore/Hayes/S. 51st Street intersection to all‑way stop. Motion moved by committee; passage recorded by unanimous consent; outcome: approved (no roll‑call recorded).

- File 241549 (appointment): Confirmation of Tara Cavazos to the Safety and Civic Commission (nominated by Alderman Peter Bergellis). Motion moved by Alderman Bergellis, seconded by Alderman Westmoreland; no objections; outcome: confirmed and forwarded to full Common Council for consideration.

- File 241423 (appointment): Nomination of Chrissy Fung to the Fire and Police Commission (mayoral nomination introduced by Amber Daniels, mayor’s office; Leon Todd, FPC executive director, presented). Motion to confirm moved by Alder Moore; no objections recorded; outcome: confirmation advanced to full Common Council.

- File 230466 (substitute ordinance): Proposed ordinance to require notice to the Common Council and city clerk when chiefs issue new or amended standard operating procedures or instructions; requires monthly reporting from the Fire and Police Commission including recommendations. Proposed Sub A was offered and ordered before the committee; Alderman Westmoreland moved that proposed Sub A be before the committee; motion carried by unanimous consent. Outcome: proposed sub a placed on file for council consideration.

- File 241-414 / related FPC communications (policies): The committee received and placed on file a package of MPD/FPC policy updates (marine/harbor patrol SOI, police aid manual SOI, SOP 070 citation procedures, SOP 665 tire deflation devices, SOP 710 witness/victim rights and assistance). Several changes were described as administrative; the SOP on citation procedures added clarifying language on operating-without-a-license citations and codified a directive to pursue reckless driving charges when observed. Outcome: placed on file by unanimous consent.

- File 241406 (resolution): Local agent agreement renewal with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection for food licensing/inspections (three‑year local agent agreement). Motion to adopt moved by Alder Taylor; passed by unanimous consent; outcome: adopted.

- File 241-478 (resolution): Program partnership agreements for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program to enable information exchange and referrals. Motion moved by Alderman Bergellis; passed by unanimous consent; outcome: adopted.

- File 241476 (resolution): Acceptance of 2025 NIBIN Enhanced Capacity Initiative grant to fund overtime for forensic and fusion unit NIBIN work; grant amount reported as $62,420 and fully funded by the granter. Motion moved by Alderman Westmoreland; passed by unanimous consent; outcome: adopted.

- Files 11–18: A set of miscellaneous files were placed on file as no longer needed. Motion moved by Alder Moore; passed by unanimous consent.

How the committee voted

Most items were advanced or placed on file by unanimous consent with no roll‑call recorded in the committee transcript. Where a formal mover/second was announced in the record, that is listed above. No contested roll‑call votes appear in the committee transcript for the Jan. 30 meeting.

What comes next

Appointments confirmed by the committee advance to the full Common Council for final confirmation. The proposed ordinance (File 230466) and several resolutions were entered into the council record; any ordinance change would require council action before becoming law. Several FPC/MPD SOP changes were communicated to the committee and placed on file; the committee requested monitoring of implementation and follow‑up where members asked for additional data or tracking.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Milwaukee - PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH COMMITTEE on 2025-01-30 9:00 AM - Jan 30, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the Jan. 30 Public Safety and Health Committee meeting the panel approved several traffic and parking changes, confirmed two appointments, advanced an ordinance on policy reporting, received SOP updates from MPD/FPC, and accepted health and forensic grants and agreements. Most actions passed by unanimous consent or were placed on file.","taxTitle","Milwaukee , Milwaukee County, Wisconsin","taxId",2851,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6688101,"Policy Forum: Milwaukee arrests, traffic and subject stops fell sharply over decade; committee hears multiple possible causes",4332,2033000,6365000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2170047-d708bd4d9c47e59a24ad1dc55aa7b35e&start=2033&end=6365","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2170047-d708bd4d9c47e59a24ad1dc55aa7b35e/thumbnail_2033000.jpg","/articles/6688101/Milwaukee/Milwaukee-County/Wisconsin/Policy-Forum-Milwaukee-arrests-traffic-and-subject-stops-fell-sharply-over-decade-committee-hears-multiple-possible-causes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6688101-ad8a0d83412b047a6cb14a87508ff5b2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189609&Signature=E5aqkJmOoES8YuvXD-GNWPb3z5FIFsjnRJL0qH-w0PftZ~Zj6ALu0QH5n7YCX0q~fSM4ZIpLWQ1MVoVgG68zM090ykFSYu8cFwxEHHxvy57bSl3wSHFZFCKCnug5m1KOzZqYmQdQdRRlDGu6BezAG8ljk5D6j0YoQAihSkKzn1gy-jmaQUrMeN3vIP9kZlz61zMAXATg3v1mtur5Pcvt6chK3dBcyGTwhbtC6ymHMlKDCOeWX0VGcvcTZrFe06XPro6fQI3Rv6cUGJuwaTj7uH6y1MW5eXp4R~qBEf8oxrlxTeERw6oV0NNsop-Pe5rJGX6ZoHitwkJHM1vsKS5F8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Wisconsin Policy Forum told the Milwaukee Common Council Public Safety and Health Committee on Jan. 30 that arrests and street stops by the Milwaukee Police Department fell sharply over the last decade, and committee members pressed police and oversight officials on what those declines mean for public safety.

Rob Henkin, the forum’s immediate past president, and Ari Brown, a senior research associate, presented data showing a sustained decline across types of police contacts. \"MPD made a little over 51,000 arrests in 2012, but just over 9,000 in 2023, which is a decline of 82.3%,\" Brown said. He also told the committee that traffic stops dropped from about 150,000 in 2015 to 27,715 in 2023, a decline of about 81.5%.

The forum’s presentation highlighted where the decreases were largest. The greatest proportional drop was in \"summons and citation\" arrests — cases where a person is cited and released with a court date — which the forum reported fell about 95.7% over the study period. Brown said the drop in arrests was not concentrated in a single year but reflected a consistent multi-year trend.

\"We feel even more confident, than we did a year ago when we theorized that it's really a confluence of several factors,\" Henkin told the committee. Forum researchers said those factors include long-term declines in some property crimes, shifts in departmental priorities toward high‑priority calls (homicides, weapons offenses and auto theft), staffing declines and turnover, court charging patterns, and policy and procedural changes such as the 2018 Collins settlement.

Committee members and officials pushed the forum and Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) representatives to connect the data with residents’ experiences. \"If you look at the satisfaction numbers... the percentage of respondents that said they're very or somewhat satisfied with MPD performance as it relates to enforcing traffic laws\" has fallen, Brown said. Alderman Scott Speicher, committee chair, noted the apparent tension between fewer low-level arrests and continued resident dissatisfaction about enforcement and reckless driving.

MPD Chief of Staff Heather Huff told the committee the department has changed which tools it uses and how it documents stops. \"Policing practices, not just in Milwaukee, but nationwide have changed,\" Huff said, adding that some contacts that previously resulted in arrests are now handled by outreach or health partners. Huff also described the administrative burden created by the Collins agreement and by departmental training and documentation requirements. \"We have requested that they review all of their body worn cam before they write a report. That takes a lot of time to make sure that they get the report right,\" she said.

Forum researchers showed data indicating fewer officers on active duty and a sharp reduction in proactive policing time — activities such as traffic stops, targeted traffic enforcement and subject stops — while priority‑1 emergency calls rose. The presenters said the combination of fewer officers available for proactive work and more urgent calls reduces the department’s capacity to stop vehicles and conduct other discretionary enforcement.

Committee members asked whether reduced stop-and-frisk style encounters may have removed an avenue for discovering weapons. Brown and Henkin said their data show taken-into-custody arrests for weapons violations rose while some categories of police‑initiated stops fell, and they noted a spike in firearm background checks nationwide during 2020–21 that supplied more guns to the community. The presenters and some aldermen said that pattern could help explain why shooting levels spiked during the pandemic and have remained elevated compared with pre‑pandemic years.

Leon Todd, executive director of the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission, spoke at the hearing and defended civilian oversight while acknowledging the effects of state law change. Forum presenters and commissioners discussed Act 12, state legislation that affects staffing caps and changes some local rulemaking authority. Forum members said Act 12 and other factors limit simple policy fixes and recommended a deeper review of how officers spend time and whether procedural tweaks could help free capacity for traffic enforcement or community engagement.

Aldermen asked the forum and MPD for more granular information. Several members requested tracking to show how often supervisors authorize alternatives to formal criminal referrals for repeat operating‑without‑a‑license cases, and more data on how officers spend shift time, including time spent reviewing video evidence and completing required reports.

The forum concluded by offering policy avenues for further inquiry: examine sworn staffing and recruitment strategies, consider targeted approaches to traffic enforcement, explore ways to reduce time officers spend on non‑patrol tasks, and expand partnerships (for example, mobile integrated health care and crisis response) to reduce non‑emergency calls. Henkin said the forum sought to prompt additional local discussion rather than prescribe a single policy change.

The committee placed the forum’s report on file for follow-up and requested additional data and briefings from MPD and the Fire and Police Commission.","At a Jan. 30 Milwaukee Public Safety and Health Committee hearing, the Wisconsin Policy Forum reported that MPD arrests and traffic/subject stops fell by more than 80% from 2012 to 2023. Committee members and MPD officials discussed staffing, the Collins settlement, priority calls and rising firearms purchases as possible contributors.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee roundup: traffic controls, appointments, SOP reports and grants moved without objections

Policy Forum: Milwaukee arrests, traffic and subject stops fell sharply over decade; committee hears multiple possible causes