Milwaukee residents press Fire and Police Commission to address MPD pursuit policy; commissioners discuss changing public-comment practice

Dozens of Milwaukee residents told the Fire and Police Commission on Sept. 18 that the Milwaukee Police Department’s pursuit policy is endangering bystanders and should be tightened, and they urged the commission to change how it collects and responds to public comment.

The appeals came during the commission’s public-comment period, after Executive Director Leon Todd presented a communication file (FPC-212,211) on whether commissioners should engage with the public during comment. Todd noted that Wisconsin statutes 19.83 and 19.84 permit public bodies to discuss matters raised during a public-comment period so long as they do not take unannounced official action. Todd said the change of practice would be allowed, though boards commonly avoid interaction to reduce the risk of inadvertently acting on an unposted item.

The public’s requests centered on police high-speed pursuits and multiple recent crashes that speakers said are linked to MPD pursuit policy. Casey Serrano, reading a statement from Ethan Costello of the South Side, said: “This is the second police chase crash that has happened at 30 Fifth And Vliet in the last 2 months…And now, 3 dead.” Several other speakers said the city has seen seven fatal incidents this year that they tie to pursuit policy.

Why it matters: residents said pursuit-related crashes have killed and seriously injured innocent people, and they urged the commission to press for policy changes…