Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee oversight body asks for more police pursuit policy changes
Milwaukee police chief says police pursuits a ‘balancing act’
Norman called deaths in police pursuits sad, but said the department needs to hold people accountable. He cited reckless driving specifically.
A Milwaukee oversight body is pushing for further restrictions on how the city’s police decide to chase vehicles, but isn’t ready to move those forward yet.
At its March 5 meeting, the city’s Fire and Police Commission mulled a recommendation the Milwaukee Police Department no longer chase drivers for reckless driving after an attempted traffic stop and stop other chases for reckless driving if it raises danger to the public. The department’s pursuit policy has been a point of contention for years and has come under intense scrutiny after nine people died from police chase crashes in 2025.
But that recommendation was tabled and sent to commission committee for further discussion, after concerns it needed to be further tweaked and receive more police department input.
“I’m trying to find incremental changes we can make to reduce chases,” said Commissioner Bree Spencer, who sponsored the recommendation.
Spencer said she was hesitant to push for policy changes that were too sweeping or too permissive. She said that had happened in years past, when pursuits were heavily restricted in 2010 and then later opened up in 2017 in response to reckless driving, following a then-Fire and Police Commission order.
As has become the norm at the commission’s meetings, a lengthy public comment period was held where some were critical of the proposed changes. Some called for dashcam footage of pursuit-related deaths to be released, as policy requires in officer shootings, and for the city’s costs of police chase-related lawsuits to be publicized.
“Police chases do not keep our community safe,” Angela Lang, the co-executive director of Black Leaders Organizing Change, said during public comment.
The Fire and Police Commission’s proposed recommendation comes after the department voluntarily removed speeding as a permissible reason to chase someone who is recklessly driving. However, that move was met coldly by members of the public and the commission, which is the oversight body for the department, who said it didn’t go far enough.
Generally, department policy considers pursuits “justified” under six circumstances, among those being when an occupant is involved in a violent felony.
Milwaukee Assistant Chief Craig Sarnow said the department was content with its previous change, when commissioners asked him for feedback on the proposed recommendation.
Both the Fire and Police Commission’s drafted recommendation and police department’s change focus on reckless driving chases. Those make up an overwhelming amount of all chases that officers in Milwaukee make – with officers citing reckless driving as the initiating reason in 742 of the 970 chases in 2025, according to police data.
The Fire and Police Commission’s recommendation is also the first time the body has exercised that power since state legislation, 2023 Wisconsin Act 12, was passed. Before that legislation was passed, the commission held the ability to outright change police department policy, but the law shifted that to the city’s Common Council.
Some have called for the Fire and Police Commission to more aggressively issue recommendations like these.
The recommendation will now move to the commission’s Oversight and Accountability Committee. The decision was made after commissioners said they sought more time to tweak the language and for police to provide input.
License plate reading camera use scrutinized
The department’s use of license plate reading cameras, a system known as Flock, came under scrutiny from many attendees at the meeting as well, who called for the city to ban it. Many noted the recent criminal charges brought against Josue Ayala, an officer who prosecutors say improperly used the system to track a former partner and another person.
Ayala resigned and is facing a misdemeanor charge of attempted misconduct in public office. Ayala had previously faced claims of lying and excessive force but was not placed on a Milwaukee County District Attorney’s list of officers with a history of dishonesty, bias or integrity concerns until recently.
That was despite, in 2022, a federal public defender issuing a complaint against Ayala, saying he exaggerated so much in his testimony and reports that it almost seemed “like a compulsion.”
Milwaukee police officials like Heather Hough, the department’s chief of staff, said they were never made aware of that previous concern against Ayala.
“Had we received the information from defense counsel about these concerns they would have been investigated,” she said in an email to the Journal Sentinel.
But that goes against the role of the defense bar, outside experts and defense attorneys locally told the Journal Sentinel. Prosecutors have the ethical duty to share potential Brady material and serve the public, whereas defense attorneys’ obligation is to their client.
Milwaukee police began using Flock cameras in 2022. MPD has a $182,900 contract with Flock for the use of the technology. That contract is active through January 2027 and passed without requiring approval from member of the city’s Common Council, a point criticized by attendees.
The scrutiny against Flock came despite it not being on the meeting’s agenda. Attendees held signs that said things like “GET THE FLOCK OUTTA HERE” and called for the city to be “de-Flocked.”
David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@gannett.com.
Wisconsin Bike Fed interns bring repairs to neighborhoods
Wisconsin Bike Fed students bring mobile bike repair services directly to Milwaukee neighborhoods at no cost.
On a typical summer day, Tanysia Kelley pedals a cargo bike loaded with tools and supplies to parks and libraries across Milwaukee.
Kelley, a junior at Milwaukee High School of the Arts, is one of three high schoolers working this summer for the Wisconsin Bike Federation to repair bikes for free in underserved neighborhoods. On a scorching July afternoon, Kelley and her fellow mechanics set up shop in the shade at Emigh Playfield, on Milwaukee’s south side, where a steady queue of riders waited for the team to fix their flat tires, loose chains and worn-out brake pads.
For Kelley, the best part of the job is giving back to the community and watching them ride away with a bike she worked on herself.
“I love seeing all the kids come over and getting their bikes fixed,” she said as she adjusted the seat of a bike with a wrench. “Yesterday, we fixed this little boy’s bike with his brakes, and he just started zooming all over the park.”
Toni Casagrande, the program’s manager and lead mechanic, said the goal of the program is to expand access to repair services in communities that lack bike shops while giving teens hands-on mechanical skills. The nonprofit Wisconsin Bike Federation pays the students $15 per hour, trains them to perform minor repairs and provides each with a cargo bike for transportation.
Casagrande said the team expects to repair about 300 to 400 bikes by the end of the summer. The program particularly focuses on Clarke Square, Layton Boulevard West, Harambee, Lindsay Heights and other low-income neighborhoods where residents may face transportation barriers. Over 40% of residents in the City of Milwaukee do not drive, according to a county service assessment released last year.
A majority of riders who used the Wisconsin Bike Federation’s mobile repair service last year were people of color, according to the program’s annual report.
The mobile bike repair program launched in 2014. Jake Newborn, assistant director of the Wisconsin Bike Federation, said the organization had long brought bikes and education programs into Milwaukee Public Schools, but staff noticed some families stopped using their bikes when they lacked access to a nearby bike shop or couldn’t afford repairs.
After moving from North Division High School, the program’s main base is now at Bradley Tech High School, where students learn to identify issues through a a 30-point bike inspection. The most common repairs include replacing brake pads, tubes, tires and chains, using both new and recycled parts from donated bikes.
“Many of these are pretty significant repairs,” Casagrande said. “People are often surprised by what we can do with the setup we have, given that it all just fits in a cargo bicycle.”
Kelley said she had no prior mechanic experience – or even a bike – before starting the job. Now she finds herself biking everywhere and is confident in her skills. After returning one rider’s repaired bike, Kelley received a $20 tip. She said some participants also offer donations to the Wisconsin Bike Federation after receiving repairs.
“Most of them are very grateful,” Kelley said. “We’re really trying to help people.”
Casagrande said many students end up pursuing jobs in mechanics once the program is complete. After the summer, Kelley said, she wants to learn how to fix cars or pursue opportunities with other local bike organizations.
For now, she’s happy spending her summer helping neighbors get back on their bikes.
“I really like doing work to feel accomplished in the end,” Kelley said. “I’ll work on things for a really long time just to feel confident, so this is the perfect job for me.”
Mobile bike repair locations
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 20-23 at Green Bay Ave Playfield, 3872 N. Eighth St.
- 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. July 20 at Villard Square Library, 5190 N. 35th St.
- 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. July 23 at Atkinson Library, 1960 W. Atkinson Ave.
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 27-31 at Whittier Playfield, 4382 S. Third St.
- 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. July 27 at Mitchell Street Library, 906 W. Historic Mitchell St.
- 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 1 at Good Hope Library, 7715 W. Good Hope Road
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 3-7 at Merrill Park, 461 N. 35th St., and Lyons Park, 3301 S. 55th St.
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 10-14 at Holt Playfield, 1716 W. Holt Ave.
Kayla Huynh covers K-12 education, teachers and solutions for the Journal Sentinel. Contact: khuynh@gannett.com. Follow her on X: @_kaylahuynh.
Kayla Huynh‘s reporting is supported by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: “JS Community Journalism”) and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.
The JS Community-Funded Journalism Project is administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36-4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association.
MILWAUKEE – The clock is ticking in the fight between ICE and Milwaukee. The federal Department of Justice gave Milwaukee until Friday to respond.
Law enforcement mask ban
The backstory:
In April, Milwaukee passed an ordinance that bans all law enforcement from wearing masks. There are exemptions for health or safety reasons. Those breaking it can face a fine of up to $10,000.
Supporters said it was part of what they called “ICE Out Milwaukee.” It was clear from debate, they were targeting immigration agents.
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The U.S. DOJ sent the mayor and city attorney a letter on July 10. It says the federal government will not comply. It tells the city to respond by this Friday, July 17, that it will not enforce the ban against federal agents.
One Milwaukee nonprofit leader critical of ICE responded to the situation.
“I look at the federal government’s threats to Milwaukee as analogous to David versus Goliath,” said Emilio De Torre of the Milwaukee Turners at Turner Hall. “David was doing the right thing in the face of of violence and oppression, and Milwaukee’s doing the right thing too. If a person is proud of what they’re doing, if they know that what they’re doing is legal and justified, then they don’t need to be a coward and hide behind a mask.”
U.S. DOJ ultimatum
What we know:
The U.S. Department of Justice letter was signed by an assistant attorney and also Brad Schimel, who leads the U.S. attorney’s office in Eastern Wisconsin.
It says the mask ordinance is unconstitutional by breaking the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy clause.
“This Mask Ban endangers federal officers and undermines federal law enforcement operations,” the letter also states. “The consequences are severe. Protecting the personal identities of federal officers and their families is especially critical in part due to the increasingly common threats of targeted harassment, tracking, interference, and assaults on federal agents for simply doing their jobs.”
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Several Milwaukee groups held a vigil and protest against ICE on Wednesday, July 15 in Burnham Park. That included Milwaukee Turners, the Milwaukee teachers’ union and Voces de la Frontera. They are criticizing recent deaths.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Jason Calvi and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from the U.S. Department of Justice, and Emilio De Torre, the Milwaukee Turners, along with Milwaukee’s ordinance on law enforcement masks.
The City of Chicago has awarded a $3 million Community Development Grant for the redevelopment of the former Grace’s Furniture building at 2618 N. Milwaukee. Planned by Bluestar Properties and Marc Realty, the building was built in 1914 as a storage warehouse and sits within the Logan Square Boulevards District.
2618 N. MilwaukeeGoogle Maps
With K2 Studio serving as the architect, the existing structure will be converted into a four-story health club with a ground floor restaurant and cafe. Set to be known as Logan Square Athletic Club, the health club will be operated by Chicago Athletic Clubs.
The redevelopment will rehabilitate the existing brick facade along N. Milwaukee Ave while creating a new brick facade on the south elevation.
2618 N. MilwaukeeK2 Studio
The $11 million development will be supported in part by the $3 million Community Development Grant, which is funded through the city’s Housing and Economic Development bond.
According to Block Club Chicago, the project is expected to begin construction in Fall 2026 with construction expected to last for one year, with the gym set to open in late 2027.
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