Milwaukee Launches Public Awareness Campaign To Curb Reckless Driving

The city of Milwaukee is hoping to curb its reckless driving epidemic by making the public more aware of its most dangerous intersections.

The effort is being called Operation Take it EZ Milwaukee. Buttons and signs have been made and four digital billboards have been placed at the city’s most dangerous intersections.

The city has also budgeted $15,000 for the Milwaukee Police Department’s overtime budget, however, Police Chief Alfonso Morales would not say how many more officers or hours the money would pay for.

“You are going to see more presence in that area,” Morales said during a press conference Monday. “More enforcement. But you are missing the point, which is the messaging. The messaging and the public sector that is getting involved and helping us push that message out there.”

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In 2017 there were 42 reckless driving fatalities. Last year there were 31. So far this year, there have been 23. Three people have been hit and 28 people have been seriously injured by reckless drivers so far this year, according to the department.

“None of those numbers are acceptable,” Morales said. “Not one incident is excusable. So, with the community help we expect those numbers to continue to drop. This is a big enough issue where the community, law enforcement officials and political officials are getting together to address it.”

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One of the targeted intersections is in Alderman Cavalier Johnson’s district. He said reckless driving has terrorized the community for years, leaving people afraid to go outside.

“(People) can’t let their kids go outside and play because they are afraid of what someone might do when they get behind a 2,000-pound missile and that’s unfair,” Johnson said. “It’s robbing children the opportunity to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment.”

The pilot program was announced just two days after two Milwaukee men were killed following a reckless driving crash on the city’s north side.

Isaiah Jacobs’ car was T-boned by another vehicle late Saturday after police say he ran a red light at the intersection of N. 91st Street and W. Good Hope Road. Jacobs, 30, was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, Naeemah Wheeler, 41, was transported to a local hospital where he later died, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner.