Amidst calls to defund the police, Milwaukee reduced the total number of police by 15% from 1864 sworn officers in 2019 to 1587 in 2024. Now the Milwaukee Police Association is warning about dangerous understaffing in one of the city’s busiest police districts.
The District 7 lineup released June 10 revealed only a single officer and squad assigned to the D7 day shift. MPA recommends minimum staffing at 10-12 officers for District 7.
District 7 has experienced what Alderwoman Andrea Pratt has called an “unprecedented” increase in violence.
There were at least eight shootings over six days in June in District 7 and Pratt’s attempts to host a neighborhood event were hindered by the violence. “I had residents who called me and said they would have liked to have been there, but they were scared to walk with us,” Pratt said.
The recent incident in which officer Sam Schwabenlander was shot in the leg occurred in District 7.
Staffing is not only impacting District 7. According to MPA, the department as a whole is over 200 officers and 50 detectives shy of their staffing requirements. “It’s dangerous,” said MPA President Alex Ayala. “It’s a safety issue for not only the officers but also for the citizens in the community calling 911.”
Milwaukee leadership denies participating in the defund the police movement. Politifact showed that while the city did increase department funding there was a systematic reduction in sworn officers, a freeze on police raises since 2022, and a reallocation of funds to “non-policing forms of public safety.”
Milwaukee Public Schools actively participated in the defund the police movement. Milwaukee continues to have one of the highest murder rates in the country. Analysts point out a connection between Milwaukee and other large city efforts to reduce policing and an increase in violent crime. (RELATED: Milwaukee Educator Self-Deports Amid Trump-Era Immigration Pressure)
“Our officers are committed to protecting this community, but they are doing so at great personal risk,” Ayala said. “We must tend to our officers’ well-being—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. That starts with proper staffing, support, and resources.’
Milwaukee government is currently negotiating a new contract with the police union. The contract, including a pay raise, will go to arbitration in August.