Milwaukee mayor responds to GOP lawmakers criticizing city response to violence

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson is pushing back at Republican state lawmakers who say city leaders aren’t doing enough to address violent crime.  

Recent high-profile shootings and homicides on and near North Water Street, an area lined with popular bars and nightclubs in downtown Milwaukee, prompted police to increase the number of officers patrolling downtown. But a letter signed by 20 Republican state lawmakers said more needs to be done to stop the “ongoing chaos and violence.” 

“Deadly reckless driving, increased homicides, and now a proliferation of violence in the downtown area, including Water Street, have reached a breaking point,” the lawmakers wrote.

The letter asked Johnson to urge Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman to reorganize the department to allow for the “maximum” number of officers patrolling the streets. 

“This could include senior command staff and Chief Norman,” the letter states. “The city of Milwaukee needs every available sworn officer out on our streets protecting our citizens and restoring law and order.”

In response, Johnson said the recent bipartisan shared revenue law changed how the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission — the civilian oversight board of those departments — operates. A Wisconsin Legislative Council memo said the law “authorizes the chiefs of the city’s police and fire departments to establish policies relating to the control and management of their departments, whereas prior law authorized the commission to do so.” 

“So by their own action, those decisions around deployment are left to the department, are left to the chief,” Johnson said during a Friday press conference. 

A Milwaukee Police Department spokesperson deferred comment about the letter to Johnson’s office. 

Johnson also again called on the state Legislature to pass stricter gun laws to help address gun violence in Milwaukee.

“People in this city, and really around this state, our ordinary citizens, are affected by issues of gun violence, and I hear silence,” Johnson said. “I hear absolute silence from the same people who signed this letter each and every single year when people in this city, ordinary citizens, innocent folks, kids, get hurt, get shot, get killed, by people who should not have their hands on guns.”

City has plans to make downtown safer

In addition to adding more police downtown, police officials said they plan to increase curfew enforcement and have officers perform more check-ins with local businesses downtown. Friday, Johnson said other moves — like limiting food truck hours and prohibiting electric scooters downtown — will lead to fewer large gatherings where violence could occur.

“Downtown will be safer,” Johnson said.

Johnson also said the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office has been assisting the police department with a mobile booking facility to help process citations and arrests quicker.

“That will help us to keep our law enforcement officers in the Milwaukee Police Department on the beat, on patrol here downtown,” Johnson said.

Milwaukee Police Capt. Robert Thiel said he wouldn’t “go into detail” on how many extra officers are patrolling downtown.

“We are deploying an extra amount of resources and redistributing some resources from other districts to bring downtown and other divisions as well,” Thiel said. “So we are going to have an excess of officers that we typically would have at this time of year.”

Alexander Ayala, president of the Milwaukee Police Association, recently told WPR the department is already “stretched thin.” 

Jake Dehne, who owns bars and restaurants in downtown Milwaukee near Water Street, believes some of the recent actions by the city are helpful. But he said more could be done.

“Have more cops … have more lights, have more you know, restrictions,” Dehne said.

Dehne said he did notice more police officers on the streets last weekend.

“Pretty much everyone who’s in the bars are there to enjoy business, to have fun, to let loose,” Dehne said. “And a lot of the problems is everything outside of the bars.” 

There have been five homicides so far this year in the police district that encompasses downtown. Two years ago at this time, there had only been one, according to police crime data.

Meanwhile, homicides are back on the rise in Milwaukee after two straight years of declines. There have been 90 homicides in the city so far in 2025, up from 85 at this time last year.