On Friday, the Milwaukee Mayor held a press conference where he touted lower crime statistics despite a rising homicide rate.
The mayor announced at his press conference Friday that according to Police data, violent crime is down 20% in the city. However, the homicide rate is up 5% from last year to date, and crime in the last month has increased from the previous month. (RELATED: Legislators Weigh Controversial Red Light Camera Bill)
The Milwaukee Police Department reported that around this time, the city had 5 less homicides at 107. The city has also seen an increase in human trafficking cases, up 22% from 2023. Human trafficking looks to be a rising problem in the city of Milwaukee, with the entire city seeing increases over the past 2 years.
The Police Department also runs an evaluation period about the middle of every month for 30-Day based statistics. Over the past month, aggravated assault, carjackings, non-fatal shootings, and theft all saw double digit increases despite having lower yearly rates.
City officials have cited that poor conflict resolution and the increase of minor incident escalation has contributed to this. Just recently, a Milwaukee Cop was involved in a small accident that involved him having to defend himself and discharge his department weapon after he was beaten by the assailant and his weapon.
“We have to work together to ensure that our kids are not possessing firearms and harm themselves and harming each other,” said Police Chief Norman at the press conference. (RELATED: Mayor Johnson Pushes Wheel Tax Hike to Plug Budget Hole)
The United States is on track to set a record for lowest murder rate. Across 116 million people, and 563 agencies, the homicide rate is down about 20% year to date from 2024. Even some of the most dangerous cities such as Chicago, New York, and Memphis have seen decreases in homicide rates. However, despite these changes, Milwaukee’s homicide rate continues to grow as violent crime has increased in the past month.