Milwaukee police ramp up patrol; 'Blackout Wednesday' prompts warnings

MILWAUKEE - Thanksgiving week is here and police are gearing up with more patrols throughout Milwaukee to keep people safe.

Planning ahead and safety are two key points the Milwaukee Police Department wants you to keep in mind before going out this week.

Rob Jones is getting into the holiday spirit. He runs Jack's American Pub on Brady Street, where they're gearing up for a busy and festive week.

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"It's more the mood and the vibes," Jones said. "Usually the night before Thanksgiving is kind of a fun night. We call it ‘Blackout Wednesday’ now. We just have a good time. People are in a jolly mood."

THe bar is one of many in the city that will be busy during the holiday week.

"Definitely one of the bigger weekdays out of the year," he said.

MPD is reminding people to be responsible before heading out.

"You will be going to jail," Sgt. Richard Voden said.

Starting Wednesday, the MPD will have extra patrols on motorcycles throughout the city,  looking for drunk drivers as part of OWI enforcement.

"We see a lot of crashes and incidents on that day starting that day and going over into the weekend that we are hoping to avoid," Voden said.

Voden said they will be targeting areas like Water Street and Brady Street that have bars and are known to be active this week.

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"We want you to go to where you're going safely, and it's by planning ahead, and it's calling a ride-share, having a designated driver," he said.

It's something Jones also encourages.

"Just don't be too hungover for the Packer game the next day," Jones said.