Milwaukee carjackings up 40%, bipartisan bill toughens penalties
MILWAUKEE - Carjackings in Milwaukee are up 40% in the first quarter of 2023 compared with the same time in 2022.
Nadine Skurzewski isn't from Milwaukee, but she's one of the city's carjacking victims.
"It was awfully scary," said Skurzewski.
Skurzewski of Kentucky was visiting family in Milwaukee.
"They had me blocked in, and there was no way for me to get out, and they just – screaming in vulgar language to get the (expletive) out of the car, and they told me if I didn’t get out of the car, they were going to shoot me," said Skurzewski.
Nadine Skurzewski
Skurzewski said the people had guns and stole her rental car. It happened in August on the south side near 31st and National.
It's a growing problem. Milwaukee carjackings are up 57% when compared with the same time in 2021. In the first quarter of that year, police reported 69 carjackings. In the first quarter of 2022, it was 77, and in the first quarter of 2023, 108.
FOX6 News asked Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman who is responsible for carjackings and what work is being done to bring those numbers down.
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"So we’ve seen an unfortunate trend in the carjackings," said Chief Norman. "The most problematic about those we’re seeing involved in these activities have no record. This is very disturbing. This is something that is a very questionable behavior. Beyond using our own task force, we have a number of different investigative task forces working with our respective districts. We’re also reaching out to our community partners. We reached out to the Office of Violence Prevention, Director Hamilton because we still need to engage our youth. We need to ensure there are intervention methods, ways to interact so that they’re not drawn to this type of behavior. Again, seeing a number of kids involved in a carjacking with no record. The bigger question comes is why, and that’s why we’re looking to see, are there activities our kids need to engage in? Are there ways to be able to have discussions with them about the dangers of what they’re engaged in?"
Milwaukee police
On Wednesday, April 19, the Wisconsin Legislature sent the governor a bipartisan bill that would toughen penalties, meaning a defendant could face up to 60 years in prison, and for the first time, Wisconsin law would use the word "carjacking" for stealing a car with a weapon or the threat of force.
"Give them stiffer sentences, really, because when I grew up, you didn’t get to get away with this stuff like this," said Skurzewski.
The Milwaukee County Prosecutor’s Office sent Skurzewski a notice about her case, asking her to give a victim's impact statement.
Prosecutors say Jason Tyson was a passenger in a car reported stolen in a carjacking and police chased that car. His charges are misdemeanors, including carrying a concealed weapon and obstructing an officer.
Milwaukee carjackings
"What they’re doing is just slapping these kids on the hand now," said Skurzewski.
While carjackings are up, other crimes are down in the first quarter of 2023. Milwaukee police report overall car thefts are down 34%, and homicides are down 22%.