Milwaukee police will soon have one less reason to pursue fleeing drivers.
A recent policy change means officers won't be allowed to chase mobile drug traffickers unless they’re wanted in a major drug investigation.
The Fire and Police Commission’s executive director shared this update with a Common Council committee a couple of weeks ago. He said the change essentially applies to hand-to-hand drug deals that end with the suspect fleeing police.
This marks the Milwaukee police chief’s first substantial policy shift since he was authorized to set department policy last summer.
In this ‘360’ report, you’ll hear from the mayor about why he supports this policy update. A state lawmaker reveals the change he believes the department should be making instead. The police chief shares whether he’s open to more pursuit policy changes. But we start with the perspective of a man who’s suffering because of a driver who fled the police.
It’s an unbearable pain for Anthony Smith.
"When you lose a child, you lose a part of you,” he said.
He had to celebrate his son’s birthday by placing flowers and balloons at his grave.
"This is what I'm left with because of something senseless,” he said.
Amari Smith was driving home back in February when a gas station surveillance video showed a man fleeing police run a red light at 20th and Burleigh and t-bone Amari’s car.
The fleeing driver tried to run away while Amari died at the scene.
"The anger that I feel is indescribable,” Smith said. “The pain is indescribable."
Milwaukee police policy allows officers to pursue drivers for several different reasons. Reckless driving, violent felonies, carjackings, and refusal to stop are among the most common according to department data.
MPD’s list used to include drug dealing offenses. But the department is slated to scale back on that reason to pursue. An M.P.D. spokesperson said the change is expected to go into effect at the end of the month.
It came about a month after TMJ4 exposed an 89-mile Milwaukee police pursuit that was initiated for a hand-to-hand drug deal. When police finally arrested the suspect, police reports show all they found was a small amount of marijuana on him.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson says he supports the policy shift.
"They have to balance public safety and restraint with these pursuits. And the police officers in the Milwaukee Police Department, they do do that on a constant basis,” he said. “They do that, working to make sure there is a proper balance."
MPD data shows less than 5 percent of all police chases in Milwaukee are initiated because of drug-related offenses. That totals up to a few more than 300 pursuits over the past 6 years.
"I think the police department is doing the right thing here,” Mayor Johnson said.
The change adjusts a policy put in place back in 2017 in response to concerns about a surge of hand-to-hand drug deals in the community.
"It just gives one more win to the bad guys, sadly,” said State Rep. Bob Donovan.
Donovan says Republican lawmakers made a point last summer to take policy decisions away from the fire and police commission and give that power to the chief.
Donovan doesn’t think Milwaukee police should be taking away reasons to chase. Instead, he believes M.P.D. should add a tool to force drivers to stop. He suggests PIT maneuvers in particular.
"I've seen these chases go for miles and miles and miles,” he said. “Come on. Put an end to it. Many of our suburban departments, Waukesha sheriff's, and all of these departments allow this and train for this. I think it's high time Milwaukee does the same."
About a month ago, TMJ4 reporter Ben Jordan sat down with Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman. They talked about police pursuits, department policies, and the potential for new intervention tactics.
"Those other particular maneuvers come with dangers and we've seen those particular situations, especially if you PIT or have somebody try to box in, in close proximity to the particular driver and we all know that many drivers are armed and dangerous in regards to some of the situations we have, so we have to be very careful,” Chief Norman said.
Currently, the only intervention tactic Milwaukee officers are authorized to use is stop sticks. M.P.D. data shows those are deployed in just 7 percent of chases.
"I'm always open to any particular type of safe methodologies or tools but it comes at a cost and also we need to make sure that it has the proper training and proper funding for it."
At the end of the day, M.P.D.’s policies on whether to chase have real-world impacts as Smith and his family will attest.
"I don't want his death to be in vain,” he said. “I don't want how I feel to go unnoticed."
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