On Friday, State Rep. Supreme Moore Omokunde and State Senator LaTonya Johnson introduced a new traffic bill that would allow municipalities to tow offenders. 

The bill stipulates that cars that are involved in reckless driving incidents and have reckless driving outstanding tickets, to be towed and/or destroyed. It would implement a one strike system, with no warning to be towed or destroyed if involved in a reckless driving incident. 

Reckless driving has been a steadily increasing issue in Milwaukee, especially in the last decade. From 2018 to 2023, reckless driving citations more than doubled from 290 to 648. (RELATED: Legislators Weigh Controversial Red Light Camera Bill)

According to FOX6, an initial ordinance was instated on June 1st, 2023 where MPD had particular parameters that needed to be met to tow the vehicle. The current laws permit the Police to tow the vehicle only if the vehicle is registered to the owner, and the driver has previous reckless driving convictions and unpaid fines.  

Since June 2023, the department has only been able to tow 11 vehicles up to February 2025. Unregistered vehicles that are already towed upon discovery, lead to 595 tows from 2022 to February 2024. 

“If you’re out here acting a fool on the streets of Milwaukee, we’re going to take your vehicle,” said Milwaukee Alderman Lamont Westmoreland.”I hope people think: I don’t want my car to get impounded. I don’t want to deal with all of that. And they start driving normally,” he added. (RELATED: Mayor Johnson Pushes Wheel Tax Hike to Plug Budget Hole)

In terms of garden variety parking tickets, there will be a 5+ ticket limit and the possibility to be towed will be enforced. According to the Journal Sentinel, the associated license plate has five or more unpaid tickets that had been issued 60 days prior to the most recent violation, a letter will be mailed to the owner, warning them of a possible tow. The vehicle will be issued a citation at the scene and must be parked illegally.