MILWAUKEE — On Tuesday, April 1, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman headlined a luncheon hosted by the Rotary Club of Milwaukee. He addressed crime numbers and trends, as well as a need to strengthen community partnerships.
“We are trending in the right direction,” said Norman, as he talked about progress made over the past year.
He shared that in 2024, the number of violent crimes, homicides and non-fatal shootings in Milwaukee dropped from where they stood in 2023.
He also talked about where progress needs to be made going forward. He pointed out that human trafficking offenses, auto thefts and carjackings increased in 2024, compared to 2023.
“The fortunate thing is, we are very good at catching carjackers,” Norman said. “But I would like us to be better at preventing them — meaning that if you allow the opportunity when you are on your iPad or laptop — there are better places to catch up on work than inside your vehicle, especially when it’s running.”
Norman also emphasized a growing concern for the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD): Staffing. Like many police agencies nationwide, he said MPD is struggling to attract new officers.
“We need more officers,” said Norman, who believes part of the challenge is the public perception of policing.
“There is no officer within the Milwaukee Police Department, within this state, within this nation, that will fight you about bad officers,” said Norman. “We don’t like them either. We want them gone just as much as anyone else wants them gone. But we also need to be admitting that we need more officers.”
He acknowledged that a big focus in 2025 will be on police officer recruitment and community engagement.
