Ashanti Hamilton leaving Milwaukee Office of Community Wellness and Safety
Ashanti Hamilton
MILWAUKEE - Ashanti Hamilton, director of Milwaukee's Office of Community Wellness and Safety, is leaving the post for the private sector, the mayor's office announced on Wednesday.
What we know
Hamilton became the head of what was then the city's Office of Violence Prevention in August 2022. He had been an alderman, representing the city's 1st District, and previously served as Common Council president.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
After nearly two-and-a-half years at the helm, the mayor said Hamilton will depart from his role with the city in the next two weeks.
"I appreciate the significant contributions Ashanti has made to city government, both in his current position and in his previous roles as an Alderman and as Milwaukee Common Council President," Mayor Cavalier Johnson said in a statement. "Under his leadership, the Office of Community Wellness and Safety has been central to the city’s efforts to reduce crime and violence. It is impossible to measure the full impact Ashanti and his team have made, but it is clear their intervention and prevention work has stopped fights, reduced firearm injuries, and contributed to the nearly forty-percent reduction in Milwaukee homicides over the past two years. I wish him well in his next professional venture."
Hamilton replaced Arnitta Holliman, who had led the office for 14 months. At the time, she said her firing was "unprofessional" – citing a lack of communication, among other things.
Featured
2024 Milwaukee crime data released; homicides down, carjackings up
The Milwaukee Police Department released on Tuesday, Jan. 7 crime data for the city from 2024.
By the numbers
The Milwaukee Police Department released its 2024 crime data on Tuesday.
Homicides fell from 172 in 2023 to 132 in 2024 – that is a 23% drop. It was the second straight year that total homicides dropped from a peak in 2022 of 215.
Rapes were down by 4% year to year in 2024, data showed, and there were also single-digit drops in aggravated assault, human trafficking, burglary, theft and arson.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.
The 2024 crime data shows an 11% increase in carjackings in the city of Milwaukee. There was a 1% increase in robberies from 2023 to 2024. Auto thefts were also up 2% – with 6,276 vehicles stolen in 2023 compared to 6,376 in 2024.
The crime data also shows there was a 1% decrease in the number of crashes in the city from 2023 to 2024. Hit-and-run crashes were consistent with 5,399 in 2023 to 5,409 in 2024. Fatal crashes in Milwaukee decreased by 11% – from 74 in 2023 to 66 in 2024.