A long-awaited change to state law is giving Milwaukee police broader authority to tow vehicles driven recklessly — and city leaders say the early results are promising.

The new law, which took effect in late 2025, allows cities to impound any vehicle used in reckless driving, removing earlier limitations that tied towing authority to vehicle registration status or unpaid citations. In the first two months after the change, the Milwaukee Police Department used the new authority in 31 cases.

Mayor Cavalier Johnson said the policy is already making a difference. “That’s … 31 vehicles off the street. We don’t have those cars being used as weapons against our fellow citizens,” Johnson said at a Jan. 8 crime statistics press conference.

Previously, Milwaukee’s ability to tow reckless drivers was constrained by state law. A 2022 change allowed impoundment only if a vehicle was unregistered, while a 2023 update extended that authority to cases where the driver owned the vehicle and had unpaid reckless driving citations.

“Those conditions, we found out, made the ordinance we passed somewhat useless,” said Alderman Scott Spiker at an October press conference, according to Urban Milwaukee.

The broader authority was first pushed by Ald. Lamont Westmoreland in 2023, though it took two years for state lawmakers to enact the change. (RELATED: JD Vance Exposes the Wage Gap Fueling America’s Undocumented Labor Crisis)

“It’s a two-ton weapon,” Westmoreland said at the time. “We should look at this the same way we look at firearms. Let’s get as many of them off the street as possible.”

City officials say reclaiming a towed vehicle is intentionally costly. Owners must pay a $150 towing fee, a $25 daily storage charge, a $50 uninsured vehicle fee if applicable, and any outstanding citations tied to the tow. Parking services manager Peter Knox said last fall that more than 80% of drivers cited for reckless driving lack insurance.

Despite concerns that the policy could overwhelm city tow lots, officials say usage has been modest so far. Milwaukee tows between 22,000 and 25,000 vehicles annually, and reckless-driving impounds must be held for at least 90 days before being sold or scrapped.

The law change comes amid continued efforts to curb dangerous driving. In 2023, Milwaukee issued 648 reckless driving citations, one of the city’s recent highs. (RELATED: Anti-ICE ‘Watch’ Group Linked to Woman Killed During Federal Operation)

At the same Jan. 8 briefing, Johnson highlighted broader public safety trends. “The numbers are remarkably positive in the city of Milwaukee,” he said. “The anomaly is homicide.” While homicides rose 8% year over year, vehicle thefts dropped by about 1,000 incidents, nonfatal shootings fell by more than 100, and robberies declined by over 500.

Milwaukee County District Attorney Kent Lovern said nonfatal shootings have dropped 40% over two years, and reckless driving prosecutions increased by 50%, signaling a more aggressive enforcement approach under the new law.