The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission on Oct. 16 took extended public comment and a departmental briefing on the Milwaukee Police Department’s vehicle pursuit policy, SOP 6‑60, after public speakers described multiple recent cases in which pursuits injured or killed bystanders and family members called for stronger limits.

At the outset of public comment, Alan Chavoya, a resident, said the city should re-examine the department’s chase rules. “These pursuits are leading to deaths,” Chavoya said, urging commissioners to consider tightening the policy. Several other speakers urged either an outright ban on pursuits for nonviolent offenses or stricter limits; others asked the commission to pursue a separate local measure dubbed “Sam’s Law” to hold out‑of‑jurisdiction officers accountable following the July RNC killing of Samuel Sharp Jr.

“Too many innocent people have been hurt by this policy,” said Kayla Patterson, who identified herself as a Milwaukee Alliance member. She repeated figures cited earlier in public testimony and watchdog briefings: the department reported 683 pursuits in 2024 and 778 so far in 2025. Family members whose relatives died or were injured also spoke: Angelique Sharp, sister of Samuel Sharp Jr., asked the commission to “take a stand with us against this” and urged renewed consideration of a policy that would control out‑of‑jurisdiction policing during large events.

Tiffany Stark, a social worker who described a family member paralyzed after a June 9 pursuit crash, told the commission that fewer than half of MPD pursuits in 2024 resulted in arrests and that six of nine people killed this year were uninvolved bystanders. “If more people are killed than arrested, why are we doing this?” she asked.

After public comment, Assistant Chief Craig Sarno of MPD briefed the commission on pursuit statistics, causes and recent fatal cases. Sarno said year‑to‑date pursuits rose 14 percent (778 in 2025 vs. 683 in 2024 through comparable dates) and that reckless driving accounted for 75 percent of pursuits in 2025 — a 39 percent increase over 2024. He told commissioners the average pursuit distance so far this year was 3.79 miles, the average duration 4 minutes 29 seconds, and average maximum pursuit speed about 85 mph.

Sarno reviewed six pursuit incidents between April and September that together resulted in nine fatalities. In four of those six crashes the initiating reason was listed as reckless driving; two were tied to violent‑felony investigations. In four incidents third‑party bystanders were killed, Sarno said. He also reported that 33 percent of pursuits in 2025 involved a crash and that MPD has logged increased numbers of pursuits in July and August.

Sarno said MPD has researched mitigation tools and technologies — digital public alerts (e.g., Waze/Google integrations), grappler/tether devices, GPS tracking and earlier deployments of a system called StarChase — but noted limitations: his presentation said the department’s fleet is not well suited for some equipment, tethering in an urban environment raises safety concerns, drones currently cannot keep pace with high‑speed vehicles, and helicopters or aviation units would be costly. He reported 91 stop‑stick deployments year to date and one “piranha” (investigative) device deployment and said the department adheres to a 19‑page SOP that it reviews regularly.

On the national guidance question, Sarno said the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) report — which recommends narrowing pursuits mainly to violent felonies — was reviewed and MPD has adopted or included training and practices that correspond to about 83 percent of PERF’s applicable recommendations. Sarno said the department had removed “mobile drug dealing” as a routine basis for pursuit earlier in 2024 and that the chief is open to further policy changes but wants community input first.

Commissioners and the public raised operational and oversight questions: whether supervisors see accurate speed data in real time, whether other jurisdictions that enter the city follow comparable rules, how quickly families can be notified, and how repeat pursuit subjects and repeat department members should be identified and reviewed. Commissioner Emma Evans asked whether dash‑camera and in‑car systems provide auditable speed data; Sarno said review of dashcam footage can confirm speeds after the fact but that live telemetry to supervisors is not yet standard.

Several public speakers and commissioners asked the department to hold town halls and to increase transparency. Sarno said the chief plans to join a town hall — likely two sessions, north and south side — in November to solicit community feedback specifically on reckless driving and the pursuit policy.

The meeting also included routine commission business and multiple formal votes (see “Votes at a glance”). The commission did not take a policy vote on SOP 6‑60 at the Oct. 16 meeting; the department signaled it will gather community input before proposing specific textual changes to the SOP.

Ending note: family members and community groups asked the commission to prioritize a faster investigative timeline and clearer communication with victims’ families, and to consider whether alternative strategies (GPS tracking, aerial or drone support, larger investments in traffic‑calming and social programs) could reduce pursuits and civilian harm.