Milwaukee Police Chief's letter to residents: “What are you doing to help?”

MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman released a letter to the public on Wednesday, August 28, urging them to get involved in the lives of the city's youth.

In the letter, Norman cites recent examples of youth being arrested for firearms, car theft and more. He urges the public: “We need you at the table. Our youth need you at the table. Be part of the solution. What are you doing to help?”

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Full text of Chief Norman’s letter

As Chief of Police of the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), there are many things that keep me up at night. Each morning, I am briefed on the serious crimes of the past 24 hours and the arrests my officers have made.

Lately, I have had many sleepless nights because of the arrests of juveniles, many of them 14 years old, some older, and some even younger, namely 11 or 12. These children are brazenly using firearms to steal cars and other property from strangers. This prompts me to call on our community to intervene.

Last night, New Mexico police arrested seven children between the ages of 13 and 17. All seven children were in a stolen vehicle attempting to steal another vehicle. They had weapons on them and when a security guard tried to stop them from stealing the vehicle, they shot the guard. Many of these children had been previously arrested and convicted for stealing cars without the owner's consent. Many of these children were not even old enough to get a driver's license.

This is not meant to be a red flag that the city of Milwaukee is a dangerous place. In fact, our crime rates are declining. Crime and people harming each other have existed since the dawn of humanity.

Our goal is to raise awareness of the trends in reckless youth behavior that I am observing.

Recently, New York City police arrested a 14-year-old who robbed a family at gunpoint, stole several vehicles from others, and killed an innocent motorcyclist who crossed his path while recklessly driving a stolen vehicle. Fourteen. He was not yet old enough to drive, but he did so without any consideration for the people around him. He was also a child who had already been convicted several times for this type of behavior.

The role of the MPD is to respond to crimes when they happen and to arrest those who cause harm to others. The MPD also works hard to prevent crime through patrols, education and community outreach. We are committed to innovative new approaches. We are always open to new ideas. But even with unlimited resources, we cannot be everywhere, and our primary and overriding role in fighting crime is to enforce the law. When crimes happen, MPD Arrests. After an arrest, we present our evidence to our partners in the criminal justice system, who then use that evidence to build a case that goes to trial. The trial process has consequences for the offender.

In our view, these consequences do not change the behavior of our young people. The children we arrest are reoffending. The community must intervene.

I ask the media, in their coverage of crime, to also examine the reasons why individuals commit these crimes. Instead of asking why the police department pursues vehicles, ask why people don't stop when the police department tries to stop them. Instead of asking why the police department doesn't issue more tickets to unlicensed drivers, ask why so many people drive without a license. Why do children or young adults use guns to steal, spread fear, and cause harm? What have their parents done to stop this behavior? The public has a right to know what drives the actions of those who harm others. It's easier to report on how law enforcement responds to a crime, but getting to the core of what drives the reckless behavior is actually a harder task. I urge you to bring this into focus.

To those in our community who can take the initiative – youth organizations, organizations that work with parents, health professionals, legislators, parents, religious leaders, aunts, uncles, neighbors – what can you do to teach our youth not to harm others, and what can you do to make sure they don't?

This call to action is not new. I have held press conferences and participated in interviews. I have been to community meetings. I try to spread this message everywhere I can. We need you at the table. Our youth need you at the table. Be part of the solution. What are you doing to help?