Milwaukee officials look to crack down on growing number of ‘street takeovers’

Ahnna Baer had just gotten home from a closing shift at work and was trying to fall asleep around midnight when she heard skidding noises and fireworks outside her home on Milwaukee’s east side.

“It wasn’t stopping. I was very confused as to what was happening,” Baer said. 

Little did she know at the time, but a street takeover was taking place at an intersection three blocks away from her. The takeover lasted about an hour. Baer had to work the next day and said she didn’t get much sleep.

“I was so tired, I just wanted to go to sleep after working a closing shift,” Baer said.

A street takeover is when a group of people block a road or an entire intersection to “engage in reckless and dangerous activities,” according to a news post from the Milwaukee Police Department. That can include reckless driving and racing, while fires are sometimes set in the road during the activity.  

“They light off fireworks sometimes at these events, and sometimes there’s even gunfire,” Milwaukee Police Sgt. Efrain Cornejo told WPR.

There have been at least 54 known street takeovers in Milwaukee so far this year, Cornejo said.

“They occur with little notice producing large crowds and create risks to the public and law enforcement,” the news post said.

In an effort to get a handle on the problem, Milwaukee Common Council President José Pérez is proposing an amendment to an ordinance that would fine spectators of the street takeovers a minimum of $500. 

The original 2018 ordinance targets spectators at drag racing events and defines a spectator as, “any person who is present at a racing event for viewing, observing, watching or witnessing the event as it progresses.”

Pérez said the takeovers have been occurring in his district for years. It comes as reckless driving has continued to plague residents of the city.

“It’s just another form of what I consider organized reckless driving,” Pérez said. “The community doesn’t want it. It’s a dangerous game that people play for notoriety, and we’re just not going to tolerate it. It’s not good for anyone.” 

Milwaukee isn’t the only place where street takeovers occur. In 2022, three people were killed in a shooting at a street takeover in Chicago. A 15-year-old died after being shot during a street takeover in Los Angeles last year.

Police in Madison also handed out over 80 citations after a street takeover event near East Towne Mall in 2024.

“Most of the citations were for trespassing, but citations were also issued for speeding and reckless driving as well,” said an incident report from the Madison Police Department.

A news post from Chuck Wexler, the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, called the issue a “national problem.”

“At a time when many police departments and sheriffs’ offices are facing significant staffing shortages, it’s unfortunate that they need to devote so many resources to this problem,” Wexler wrote in the post.

Ordinance change has support of mayor, police chief

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said he supports the change.

“It’s creating an additional penalty, an additional tool in the toolbox to address the issue for those folks that are gathered spectators for these events,” Johnson said.

In a statement, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman also said he supports the measure.

“Street takeovers are a reckless and dangerous activity for everyone in our community,” Norman wrote. “This new ordinance will give our officers an additional tool to keep our community safe from harm and hold the individuals participating or spectating in street takeovers accountable.” 

Pérez said the ordinance will be discussed by the Public Safety and Health Committee soon. It then needs to be approved by the Milwaukee Common Council.

During a recent committee meeting, Milwaukee Police Capt. Phillip Simmert II said many of the vehicles involved in the takeovers in the city don’t have license plates displayed and many of the people involved wear masks.

He also said people often use encrypted messaging apps to communicate. Some younger people who participate often steal cars to ride in during the takeover.

Pérez said he believes police will be able to tell who is a “spectator” and who is actively participating.

“You can tell when people are encouraging this, and you can tell when people are pissed off, telling folks … ‘get out of here,’” Pérez said.

Bills aimed at street takeovers have been considered in other states

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed four bills last year that address street takeovers, including one bill that says people driving vehicles that participate in takeovers in parking lots, “are subject to the same impoundment laws as those on roadways,” according to a statement.

Meanwhile, a Connecticut bill would suspend the licenses of people involved in street takeovers. 

Wisconsin Rep. Bob Donovan, R-Greenfield, said the issue is concerning.

“I do think it’s indicative of a larger problem … just a general degree of disorder that’s spreading across parts of Milwaukee and being perpetrated by individuals that I’m sure feel that nothing’s going to happen to them,” Donovan said. 

However, he said he doesn’t believe the local ordinance change will do much to stop the behavior. 

Donovan said a bill he’s the cosponsor of would do more to solve the issue. That bill would allow for the impoundment of, “any vehicle used in a reckless driving offense regardless of ownership of the vehicle or prior record of the operator.” 

“I think that would be a far better tool to deal with this problem,” Donovan said about the bill.

The state Assembly passed that bill in March, but the Senate has yet to vote on it.

Vaun Mayes, a community activist in Milwaukee, said he believes it’ll be hard to cite spectators as he said it’s even hard for police to get to where the takeovers are when they’re occurring.

“I just don’t feel like it’s going to have a real impact on the actual issue,” Mayes said.

A new Milwaukee police task force is also taking aim at the issue. Cornejo said Milwaukee police officers and members of the Wisconsin State Patrol and the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office are part of the task force, which monitors the activity in the city.

Since the task force’s creation on May 16, Cornejo said 12 arrests have been made and 25 vehicles have been towed for the activity.