Milwaukee city attorney announces effort to hold reckless drivers accountable

Milwaukee’s city attorney announced a new effort Tuesday that would hold reckless drivers accountable.

In the past, city attorney Evan Goyke, who was elected in April, said drivers who had a reckless driving offense would sometimes have their citations amended or dismissed.

Starting Tuesday, he said that practice will stop.

Goyke said that sets up repeat reckless driving offenders for “enhanced criminal penalties” under state law.

“Effective today, we will no longer amend or dismiss reckless driving citations,” Goyke said during a press conference outside of Milwaukee City Hall on Tuesday.

Reckless driving has plagued the city for years. And last year, state lawmakers passed a bill that increased the penalties for repeat reckless driving offenders.

“But necessary for that second or subsequent offense is a first offense, and that’s where the city attorney’s office and the municipal prosecutors come into play,” Goyke said.

Goyke said the goal is to “hold reckless drivers accountable.”

“This is really about public safety,” he said. “It doesn’t give me great joy to make this announcement. It’s about holding these individuals accountable and achieving results and safer streets in the city of Milwaukee.”

Milwaukee police chief Jeffrey Norman praised the announcement.

“It gives us another tool in our toolbox to combat reckless driving,” Norman said.

Milwaukee County Chief Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern said repeat reckless drivers could face up to one year in jail under the change in state law.

“We will continue moving forward with this very direct policy of recommending jail and not reducing the charge of reckless driving, because the reality is, this type of driving endangers everyone in our community,” Lovern said.

In Milwaukee, officials have focused on education, enforcement and street redesign to make city streets safer.

Last month, city leaders held a press conference to announce that traffic calming efforts across the city were working. One project reduced speeding by 24 percent and reduced people driving 10 miles over the speed limit by 13 percent, according to city data.

A county dashboard reveals there were 19,500 traffic crashes in the city of Milwaukee in 2021. That number decreased to 17,500 in 2022 and 16,600 in 2023. There have been 9,800 traffic crashes in the city so far this year, according to the latest data from the county.

Earlier this year, the Milwaukee Department of Public Works announced new projects across the city including raised crosswalks, curb extension and major reconstruction projects on certain streets.

The city has aggressively increased the number of curb extensions it installed last year, from 46 in 2020 to 907 in 2023. Curb extensions, or bump-outs, narrow the street and force cars to make slower turns.

Local leaders have also tried to combat the problem by passing ordinances and working with state lawmakers to create harsher penalties for offenders.

Milwaukee Common Council President Jose Perez also praised the move Tuesday. He said reckless driving has impacted residents across the city.

“What’s going on now is just simply unacceptable, and we must do more on all fronts to eliminate reckless driving,” Perez said.