MILWAUKEE — Several lawmakers are pushing to strengthen a state law to create a guaranteed consequence for reckless drivers.
Bipartisan legislation recently introduced would allow police to tow the vehicles of all reckless drivers, even if it’s their first offense.
In a Lighthouse exclusive report, Ben Jordan explains why the effort is about removing barriers from the current reckless driving tow law.
It’s an immediate punishment few reckless drivers have faced: handing over their keys and their car.
Last summer, TMJ4 obtained Milwaukee police body and dash camera video that took us to the scene of three repeat reckless drivers.
Despite high hopes that the towing law would curb reckless driving, we found these were the only three reckless drivers whose cars were towed under the ordinance. As of late January, that number remains in the single digits, according to MPD data.
“When you hear that number, how does it make you feel?” Jordan asked.
Watch: Lawmakers push for bill aimed at first-offense reckless drivers
"It's a frustration, and it's unfortunate,” Jeanne Lupo replied.
Lupo is the president of Enough is Enough – A Legacy for Erin. The group is working to fight reckless driving in the courtroom and at the Capitol.
"I think police need all the tools in their toolbox to fight the reckless driving problem,” Lupo said.
The current law allows police to tow vehicles of reckless drivers if they meet three criteria: it must be their second or subsequent reckless driving citation, they must have unpaid reckless driving fines, and it must be their car.
"Previously, there were too many loopholes, and I think this gets rid of the two glaring loopholes,” Milwaukee Alderman Lamont Westmoreland said.
In late 2023, Westmoreland led a unanimous effort by the Common Council to call on state lawmakers to remove what he considers to be loopholes.
"If it's their first offense previously or currently, there's nothing you can do,” Westmoreland said. “That’s major loophole number one.”
State Representative Bob Donovan recently took action on the Common Council’s request by introducing legislation.
"This is a much cleaner bill,” he said. “It allows for the towing of vehicles engaged in reckless driving. First offense, yes. It doesn't matter."
Donovan’s bill aims to clear several hurdles. It would allow municipalities to pass an ordinance to tow vehicles any time a person is cited for reckless driving, regardless of whether it’s their vehicle or if they have unpaid fines.
"Apparently, the police were having difficulty determining whether these individuals had paid their fines or not, so to avoid all of that, we’re moving forward with this bill,” Donovan said.
Donovan says the driver would still have to pay previous unpaid fines to get their car back.
The only exception would be if it’s a stolen vehicle. In that case, the owner of the car would not face an impound fee.
“What message would you hope this would send to reckless drivers?” Jordan asked.
“Put an end to this nonsense,” Donovan replied.
Over the last two years, nearly a thousand reckless driving citations have been issued in Milwaukee, according to municipal court data. Donovan says several hundred reckless driving tows would likely happen each year if this bill becomes law.
The bill is expected to get a public hearing at the state Capitol as soon as later this week.
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