[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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",6697870,"mediaKeyId","2176296-47d6c8297f50920c7999137c36588ae0","parentId",2176296,"title","Committee approves parking and traffic controls, appointments, health and grant actions; multiple items placed on file","audioSeconds",5482,"startMs",39000,"endMs",5521000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2176296-47d6c8297f50920c7999137c36588ae0&start=39&end=5521","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2176296-47d6c8297f50920c7999137c36588ae0/thumbnail_39000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6697870/Milwaukee/Milwaukee-County/Wisconsin/Committee-approves-parking-and-traffic-controls-appointments-health-and-grant-actions-multiple-items-placed-on-file","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6697870-71b733cf0e96cf02bbf4aaf7479f3cb7/orig.mp4?Expires=1776289464&Signature=bxkqjgKYTMeTHCGuQfPQ9EkYYJzH70YVo3Xa-YibmD2vDfV7qf3N1XYynHtnvJ~oS78jjoP4Fj6GVOg~j9K1kDv9UfsW5Jv~BBUmnStP7~-EG-jCjrc5bTp3fjxKIBwyx7yvu6FyzN5ih0mVnVFiMXTDegd3ZZQzBLUHBjipffT9Vyu3zO5sI8t-DULKHziaJmdsqAPemNP5JGJ35QG0wgZ7DPzyisDI5zoXjfOcBKXCsqm11Uxonwn5Jfs7LOwt4KmKLNIZOVJUwfI05tuukEsV3AQRXpBz5~MCWwd0zHDFtOZRkeA6CuoN3K0la5BlumSOcH52MVBUST37MtSFVg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Milwaukee","date","2025-01-30T09:02:00Z","article","The Milwaukee Common Council Public Safety and Health Committee on Jan. 30 approved a series of ordinances, appointments and grant agreements and placed several communications on file. The committee handled routine traffic and parking controls, confirmed two commission nominees for further council consideration, and authorized public‑health and forensic grants and agreements.

Key votes and outcomes (at a glance)

- File 241‑448 (Parking controls ordinance): The committee approved installation of no‑parking signage on the northeast and southeast corners of the intersection of Willow Way and 43rd Street, no‑parking signage at the northwest corner of Vienna and 84th Street, and a tow‑away plaque at the southwest corner of Hayes and 8th St. (to assist access to a recently opened fire station). Motion moved by Alderman Peter Bergellis; adopted by unanimous consent (no objections).

- File 241‑449 (Traffic controls ordinance): The committee approved converting north/south yield signs to stop signs at Burrell and Van Norman, adding a stop sign for southeastbound Sharon and Congress (a T intersection), and converting Fillmore/Hayes/S 51st to an all‑way stop. Alderman Taylor moved passage; adopted by unanimous consent.

- File 241‑549 (Appointment): The committee approved the appointment of Tara Cavazos to the Safety and Civic Commission, nominated by Alderman Peter Bergellis; nominee spoke briefly about community safety work. Motion to confirm moved by Alderman Bergellis and seconded by Alderman Westmoreland; adopted by unanimous consent.

- File 241‑423 (Appointment): The committee recommended confirmation of Chrissy Fung to the Fire and Police Commission (nomination from Mayor Johnson). Fung described prior oversight work and community experience; Alder Moore moved confirmation. The committee forwarded the nomination to the full council (no objections recorded).

- File 230‑466 (Substitute ordinance): Committee approved proposed Sub A to require notification and reporting of SOPs and SOIs issued by chiefs of police and fire to the city clerk and the council, a codification of current reporting practice. Alder Moore moved passage; adopted by unanimous consent.

- File 241‑406 (DATCP local agent agreement): The committee authorized the Department of Health to renew a three‑year agent agreement with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to perform licensing and inspections (food safety, recreational water and related inspections). Alder Taylor moved adoption; adopted by unanimous consent.

- File 241‑478 (WIC program partnership agreements): The committee authorized program partnership agreements needed for WIC service coordination. Alder Bergellis moved adoption; adopted by unanimous consent.

- File 241‑476 (NIBIN enhanced capacity initiative grant): The committee authorized acceptance of a Wisconsin DOJ grant (federal funds administered through Wisconsin DOJ) to fund overtime for National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) work for MPD forensics and fusion units; grant amount $62,420. Motion carried by unanimous consent.

- Items 11–18: Committee placed files 11 through 18 on file as no longer needed.

How the committee voted
Most routine items were adopted by unanimous consent after brief presentations or staff explanation and without recorded roll‑call votes; committee chairs moved passage or placement on file and the chair announced there were no objections in each case.

Why this matters
The actions make modest changes to neighborhood traffic and parking controls, advance two commission appointments for full‑council consideration, renew a public‑health inspection agreement and secure a forensic/grant funding stream for ballistic analysis. The committee also received informational material and SOP changes that it placed on file for further tracking.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Milwaukee - PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH COMMITTEE on 2025-01-30 9:00 AM - Jan 30, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Public Safety and Health Committee approved parking and traffic sign changes, advanced two commission appointments, authorized health‑inspection and WIC agreements, and accepted a NIBIN grant; several communications and SOP updates 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},6697874,"MPD codifies citation rules: supervisors to review some second 'operating without license' cases; reckless‑driving enforcement clarified",619,5737000,6356000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2176296-47d6c8297f50920c7999137c36588ae0&start=5737&end=6356","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2176296-47d6c8297f50920c7999137c36588ae0/thumbnail_5737000.jpg","/articles/6697874/Milwaukee/Milwaukee-County/Wisconsin/MPD-codifies-citation-rules-supervisors-to-review-some-second-operating-without-license-cases-recklessdriving-enforcement-clarified","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6697874-656d0c2c845e40b05b950cede5e345db/orig.mp4?Expires=1776289464&Signature=XW5GNMezfxlF5ugypDBAUyMtYgesFyZUkO7pFgyK3Y91ZT~Iuv6pWDhXsrsxLVzVrBxmCdPmZ2nD12005HIBVMm4~ZKCAvwM94q0sQIl64LT8Mzh83Hy8SdUrPDm2kJDx1123vlEjaijJ8ymZ63dS1ZXpK9BH1DpNrDZiTNIjpMuwZdzZ4RX5kcM58HyiYjvjAQdlv30iZrh4buUwtmOtb0~PXzApBSE3p-AuC2kWFDF6GqwbXBW3xVoY3jShCUufEdL9T447g0ilnm9iRJxmUZchT~IqnUCQp-aia8cuSaaSTyfYD5LOo6hPJRuMdUuHuh2Gxa5CMlyzD00Vu9oMg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission notified the Public Safety and Health Committee on Jan. 30 of recent Milwaukee Police Department standard operating procedure (SOP) changes that affect citation practices for driving offenses and other administrative items; the committee placed the communication on file.

The substantive SOP changes communicated to the committee included:

- Clarifying when officers must issue \"operating without an operator's license\" versus \"operating after suspension or revocation\". The SOP instructs officers to issue \"operating without an operator's license\" when a person's record shows they never held a valid license, rather than an \"operating while suspended\" charge that would imply a prior valid license that was later suspended.

- For second or subsequent operating‑without‑a‑license incidents, the SOP directs officers to refer those cases to the district attorney as criminal traffic matters in the normal course; it allows a supervisor to approve issuing a municipal citation instead based on the totality of circumstances. The committee asked MPD to track how often supervisors approve municipal citations instead of DA referrals.

- Reckless driving: the SOP requires officers who observe what they can prove to be reckless driving under state statute to issue a reckless‑driving citation rather than a lesser offense. The policy also introduces an internal \"reckless driving envelope\" to route documentation and evidence to the district attorney to ensure consistent charging and that packets are not lost in transmission.

Other, non‑controversial administrative changes that the FPC communicated included updates to the police aid program manual; an administrative update to marine/harbor patrol procedures to comply with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources policy; and technical updates to SOPs on use of tire‑deflation devices and victim/witness rights and assistance.

MPD and FPC context
Leon Todd, executive director of the Fire and Police Commission, described the police‑aid manual updates as intended to broaden training and assignments for police aids so they gain experience across department work locations. Heather Huff, MPD chief of staff, said Collins‑related reporting and training obligations have increased on‑shift report writing and review of body‑worn camera footage, which reduces proactive street time for officers; she suggested the committee could revisit parts of the Collins requirements if the committee wished to explore targeted relief for documentation burdens.

Committee action
Alderman Westmoreland moved to place the FPC communication and the SOP changes on file; the committee recorded no objections and the item was ordered placed on file.

Why this matters
The citation procedure clarifications change how officers document and charge common driving offenses. The supervisor‑approval path for some second‑offense operating‑without‑license cases creates a discrete tracking point the committee asked MPD to monitor. The reckless‑driving direction responds to council concerns about enforcement of dangerous driving and ensures the district attorney receives consistent evidence packets for potential criminal charges.","The Fire and Police Commission communicated changes to Milwaukee Police Department standard operating procedures that clarify how officers should charge certain traffic violations; the committee placed the policy changes on file.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":46,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6697880,"Policy forum: Milwaukee arrests and traffic stops plunged; committee hears multiple possible causes",4331,1190000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2176296-47d6c8297f50920c7999137c36588ae0&start=1190&end=5521","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2176296-47d6c8297f50920c7999137c36588ae0/thumbnail_1190000.jpg","/articles/6697880/Milwaukee/Milwaukee-County/Wisconsin/Policy-forum-Milwaukee-arrests-and-traffic-stops-plunged-committee-hears-multiple-possible-causes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6697880-00629e575b15c4061634c691245dc8dc/orig.mp4?Expires=1776289465&Signature=HMilvfYwjmk82qzHi5ssZJHfRhpKwM88d~siKkZAZ~W6OsEd7ddM3Adkq9AqApOwsp-WaCU7Tar5hMBi5qqgPXC6sif0ZNI7p4rvoTeVWgS4NKX9UvhaE6MRMJbYHc~gVdMWeiK0tuhoIG1qpc1zzJ7IoLwZEgRbeEnz52MzA0o5ebHCyq2XHxoa3DArOK8mTg8BBk-7B42HefQzXr-GGXyrgDrC4Of9sk8iZs~lPsrXsCY-ZRLlTcz8~VhgN0xr2iJoDrjkx5T7jsMLf0jZY1-BqjAjBSJbDgJF8Y2d9FIOXIfc8h4keFLPiL7lVLYqqyninj90f1mpU20fowcegg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Wisconsin Policy Forum presented data to the Milwaukee Common Council Public Safety and Health Committee on Jan. 30 showing a sustained drop in Milwaukee Police Department arrests and traffic stops over the 2012–2023 period, and committee members and department representatives discussed possible causes and policy responses.

The Forum’s presentation summarized its key findings: arrests fell from about 51,000 in 2012 to just over 9,000 in 2023 (a drop of roughly 82.3%), and traffic stops declined from roughly 150,000 in 2015 to about 27,715 in 2023 (about an 81.5% decrease). The Forum also reported a 95.7% fall in “summons and citation” arrests and noted declines across both on‑view and taken‑into‑custody arrest categories. The committee voted to place the report on file.

The Forum’s case for a multicausal explanation
Rob Henkin, immediate past president of the Wisconsin Policy Forum, and Ari Brown, senior research associate, told the committee they studied 10 years of data and compared Milwaukee with a set of peer cities that report incident‑based data. Brown said Milwaukee’s decline was the largest among those peers. Henkin and Brown urged caution about single‑cause explanations and said multiple factors likely contributed, including declines in reported offenses, department staffing drops, changes in practice required by the 2018 Collins settlement, leadership turnover and an increase in high‑priority calls that reduced officers’ time for proactive policing.

\"We feel even more confident ... that it's really a confluence of several factors,\" Henkin said during his presentation.

MPD and FPC responses
Heather Huff, chief of staff for the Milwaukee Police Department, said the department welcomed the data but cautioned the committee against treating arrest counts alone as the measure of public safety. \"If you define [success] by arrest, this is alarming,\" Huff said, adding that policing practices nationwide have changed and that some responses that formerly resulted in arrests now use non‑arrest alternatives such as outreach or social‑service referrals. She and Assistant Chief Craig Sarnow told the committee that compliance obligations tied to the Collins settlement — notably detailed reporting and training requirements — take officer time and can reduce time for proactive field activity.

Leon Todd, executive director of the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission, and MPD staff also described workforce pressures. Committee members and Forum presenters discussed staffing, noting the Forum’s finding that active sworn strength had declined in recent years and that MPD priority‑1 emergency calls had risen while proactive policing metrics had fallen.

Committee discussion and follow‑up
Committee members pressed for clarifying data and for follow‑up work. Alderman Peter Bergellis asked whether the collapse in lower‑level arrests should have produced improved resident satisfaction; Forum researchers noted satisfaction around traffic enforcement remained lower than a decade ago. Several alderpersons requested further breakdowns (for example, by district or by officer unassigned/proactive time) and a way to track how supervisors handle discretionary charging decisions the new SOPs require MPD officers to document.

The committee placed the Policy Forum report on file. Alderman Bergellis moved placement on file; the chair announced there were no objections and the item was ordered placed on file.

Why this matters
Forum presenters and committee members emphasized that the data raise policy questions for Milwaukee: whether changes in policing practices and workloads are producing unintended consequences for traffic safety, whether the Collins settlement should be revisited for targeted clarification, how staffing and workload affect the ability to do proactive enforcement, and which non‑police interventions (mental‑health response, social services, EMS strategies) could free officer time for other priorities.

The Forum recommended further study of how officers spend time, whether priority‑1 call volumes could be reduced through alternative responses and whether targeted policy tweaks could improve traffic enforcement without undermining constitutional policing.

Next steps
Committee members asked MPD and the Forum for follow‑up materials, including: district‑level stop and arrest trends, a breakdown of officer unassigned/proactive time, overtime trends, and more detail on how often supervisory exceptions are authorized when officers deviate from new citation procedures. The Forum’s presenters said some qualitative questions remain and recommended further, focused data collection and review.","A Wisconsin Policy Forum presentation to the Milwaukee Common Council Public Safety and Health Committee showed steep declines in arrests and traffic stops between 2012 and 2023 and prompted discussion of staffing, policy changes and enforcement priorities; the committee placed the report on file.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee approves parking and traffic controls, appointments, health and grant actions; multiple items placed on file

MPD codifies citation rules: supervisors to review some second 'operating without license' cases; reckless‑driving enforcement clarified

Policy forum: Milwaukee arrests and traffic stops plunged; committee hears multiple possible causes