Summer in Milwaukee
Well, we are all looking forward to the great summer weather that we always get this time of year. Yes, all the summer festivals, state fairs, concerts, Brewer baseball […]
Black News 
Well, we are all looking forward to the great summer weather that we always get this time of year. Yes, all the summer festivals, state fairs, concerts, Brewer baseball games, the zoo, plus many other things too throughout the summer. But always mixed with all these fun things are some things that we could do without. School is now out for the summer also and kids are everywhere with most just trying to have fun also. There are some with their teenage friends that get into activities we think might be a little unsafe at times. One of late is called “street takeovers” which can be extremely dangerous to the drivers and pedestrians watching the event.
“Street takeovers” are when a large group of people close all a street intersection to party in the middle of the street. Cars burn rubber in a circle at a high rate of speed with the crowd standing remarkably close to the activities. Fireworks and bottle rockets are being set off in addition. Many are drinking, partying and just having an enjoyable time. This creates disturbance in the area where it is being held where many states they cannot sleep or enjoy quiet time in their homes. Also, it is extremely dangerous and the people in the crowd can be seriously injured or killed if one of the cars goes into the crowd. In the past few weeks people were slightly tapped by the moving vehicles, but no injuries were reported.
MPD Command staff was called in front of the Common Council and asked what you are doing about these events because we are getting numerous complaints. They reported a takeover task force and advised arrests were coming. During one incident they reported one arrest, five towed vehicles and nine citations issued. Mayor Johnson and Chief of Police Norman both state this behavior will not be tolerated. The task force now has arrested the main person who was putting together these takeovers plus towed his vehicle. The interesting thing is this person is from Illinois and came over here just for these activities.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley signed an ordinance into law on June 3 that empowers Milwaukee County sheriff deputies to impound vehicles involved in reckless driving. This is part of the county and city’s vision zero initiative, implemented in 2022, that aims to eliminate all fatal traffic accidents and serious injuries by 2037. Vehicles can only be towed by deputies at the time of issuing a citation or making an arrest for reckless driving. The owner of the impounded vehicle will pay fees and any outstanding fines before retrieving the vehicle.
The City of Milwaukee enacted a similar ordinance empowering MPD the ability to impound vehicles in November 2025. MPD has impounded 154 cars involved in reckless driving so far in 2026. Part of the city ordinance also issued fines for the people out in the crowd watching the events. The fines can go to as high as $1000 dollars. It looks like between the city, County, Mayor Johnson, Chief Norman, and County Executive Crowley the streets will be a little calmer this summer.
