A last-ditch effort to force Milwaukee’s police to stop chasing reckless drivers after traffic stops failed at City Hall on July 31.
The proposal’s failure to receive a vote at the city’s Common Council ends months of debate over the Milwaukee Police Department’s pursuit policy and how it should be changed in. Ald. Sharlen Moore, the lead sponsor, was among the six members who voted in support to revive the legislation, with nine other members against it, after it failed to pass previously.
The failure to pass the policy change comes after a deadly 2025 for police chases. So far this year, police pursuits have significantly declined and no one has been killed in crashes involving a police chase.
Milwaukee Police made its own revision to the policy in February, removing speeding as a standalone reason to initiate a chase.
Advocates of the policy change say it would have brought police policy closer to national standards and curtailed chases that are often starting for non-violent offenses.
The now-dead proposal was introduced and unanimously passed by the city’s Fire and Police Commission, an oversight body for the department, earlier this year. However, it was met with strong opposition at the city’s Public Safety and Health Committee, where members voted down the proposal 4-1 on June 11, with only Moore voting in support.
Typically, when legislation fails to pass at committee, the process stops there. However, council members can request the full Common Council vote on it anyways, in a two-step process that requires members to vote to allow it to be brought up for a subsequent formal vote on its passage.
Moore’s July 31 attempt did not make it past the first step.
Generally, police pursuits are “justified” under six circumstances, including when the driver is involved in a felony and some instances of reckless driving, but not for speeding alone.
The Common Council’s failure to pass the policy was met with criticism from residents and activists at Friday’s meeting.
“Lives are changed forever and you couldn’t even hear what we had to say or what any of this was about,” said Tiffany Stark, a member of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.
The father of Stark’s child was killed from injuries related to a police chase crash in June 2024. Ever since, she has been an outspoken advocate for policy changes.
She said she hopes a 2023 state law that removed the Fire and Police Commission’ ability to change police policy on its own – a power granted to the Common Council – can be changed under the next Wisconsin governor.
The possible impact of the proposed policy was studied by police and the Fire and Police Commission.
Police officials said in July the department calculated it would have dropped pursuits by about 49%. Fire and Police Commission staff had previously estimated it would drop pursuits by about 15% but used a smaller sample size than police.
If the proposed changes to the vehicle pursuit policy were in place in 2025, the police department estimated at least two of last year’s deaths would not have occurred, Police Assistant Chief Craig Sarnow said earlier in July.
Policy change push only latest effort
The department’s pursuit policy has been a hot button issue in Milwaukee for years, coming under intense scrutiny after nine people died in 2025 from police chase crashes.
Following the deaths, the department voluntarily changed its policy in February, removing speeding as a permissible reason to chase someone who is recklessly driving. Back in May, Police Chief Jeffery Norman declined to implement the FPC’s recommendations.
The department is against further changes to its pursuit policy, with police officials saying its own change is adequate. Some elected officials have cited concerns that proposals could worsen reckless driving in Milwaukee, while supporters of the change say it didn’t go far enough to prevent deaths.
Where do things stand this year?
Police pursuits are down so far in 2026.
Sarnow presented this year’s six-month vehicle pursuit data to the FPC during their meeting on July 16.
No deaths have occurred as a result of police chases in this year, compared to two deaths at this time last year, according to data from Jan. 1 to June 30.
Data also shows reckless driving as the initiating reason in over 75% of all vehicle pursuits this year, with similar percentages in 2025. This sparks a conversation surrounding the initial reasons officers stop a vehicle and pursue them. Felonies accounted for the second most reason for initial stops.
Sarnow said police chases are on track to dip about 18% this year compared to 2025. There have been 397 pursuits in the first six months of 2026.
Shane Colpoys is a reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be reached at SColpoys@usatodayco.com.
David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee police retain ability to chase reckless drivers after stops
Reporting by Shane Colpoys and David Clarey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Shane Colpoys and David Clarey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
