In State of City, mayor announces pilot program that will share GPS locations of juvenile offenders
MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, in his State of the City address Monday, March 6th focused on what's ahead for the city, along with some challenges. One effort, beginning in March, is aimed at reducing juvenile crime.
Mayor Barrett said the city is serious about crime, and you need to look no further than the $38 million budget earmarked for the Milwaukee Police Department over the next two years. Mayor Barrett said one new program aimed at reducing juvenile crime will certainly help.
In February, bullets struck Milwaukee Fire Department Station 13 on 30th Street. Bullets came through several windows, missing four firefighters who were inside. Mayor Barrett used that incident to demonstrate how dangerous it can be for police officers and firefighters themselves.
Shots fired at Milwaukee Fire Department Station 13
On February 26th, Milwaukee police officers were shot at while investigating at a gas station near 7th and Oklahoma.
Shots fired at officers near 7th and Oklahoma
Shots fired at officers near 7th and Oklahoma
Besides gun violence, another recurring problem is car theft by juveniles.
In January, officials said 24 juveniles ages 16 or younger were accused of stealing cars, and 83 percent of them had prior arrests for vehicle theft.
Mayor Barrett said research is showing a small number of kids are responsible for a large percentage of juvenile crime.
GPS monitoring
The City of Milwaukee's Office of Violence Prevention has launched a pilot program with intensive case management. During the month of March, the Milwaukee Police Department will share GPS locations of juveniles. When a juvenile offender is on probation, police and county officials will have information as to where the offender is.
Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn
"It's been a sad but true issue that juvenile probation is no probation at all. Nobody is paying attention to them. They are relearning long lessons once they've been arrested. A subset of our offenders are arrested three or four times for stealing cars in a year-and-a-half. That's unacceptable," Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said.
The new program is aimed at keeping a close eye on a group causing a lot of crime.
Officials said many stolen vehicles are then used to commit other crimes, or they end up being driven recklessly -- often crashing.