Milwaukee’s Water Street, once a thriving nightlife hotspot, is now plagued by shootings, assaults, and reckless driving—sparking urgent calls for tougher safety measures.
The crisis has drawn an unexpected response from Evolve Church, a congregation usually focused on Milwaukee’s inner-city neighborhoods. In August, the church shifted its outreach downtown, converting two bars into makeshift sanctuaries filled with prayer, music, pizza, and alcohol-free drinks.
Pastor Kenneth Lock said the decision was intentional: if his church could serve communities long scarred by violence, the same effort was needed on Water Street, where chaos and fear now define the district. The move highlighted how Milwaukee’s safety problems have spread beyond traditional trouble spots, forcing faith leaders into new ground.
This summer, violence escalated in alarming fashion. In July, police responded to three separate shootings on Water Street, leaving two people dead and at least five others injured. In total, nine shootings have taken place along the corridor this summer, three of them fatal. (RELATED: Milwaukee Police Break Up ‘Street Takeover’ Amid Crime Epidemic)
The downtown police district has recorded five homicides so far this year—five times higher than the single homicide reported at the same point two years ago. Nonfatal shootings have also doubled, rising from 10 at this time last year to 20. This comes during a year when homicides and not fatal shootings are declining in the city of Milwaukee.
The violence on Water Street has not been limited to shootings. In July, two 22-year-old women, Chloe Handrich and Sam Zganjar, were critically injured when a driver plowed through wooden barricades meant to protect pedestrians. Despite the severity of the crash, the driver received only minor traffic citations for failing to yield, lacking valid registration, and driving without insurance—and was allowed to leave the scene.
Political leaders are voicing frustration over what they see as a public safety crisis. Alderman Robert Bauman, who represents the district, has sharply criticized city officials for failing to deliver a clear plan, saying the message to downtown businesses and residents amounts to “you’re on your own.”
Mayor Cavalier Johnson, by contrast, has defended the city’s efforts, pledging more law enforcement resources for Water Street and vowing that “downtown will be safer.”
At the state level, Rep. Bob Donovan, chair of the Assembly Committee on Urban Revitalization, warned that reallocating officers from other neighborhoods to cover Water Street is unsustainable and may worsen enforcement gaps elsewhere. He has announced a September hearing to examine police staffing levels statewide.
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