In the spirit of my grandfather, Milwaukee Mayor Daniel Hoan, our family foundation has been sponsoring a contest for the best ideas to make our community better. We ask citizens for proposals and a panel of expert judges reviews the entries and awards monetary prizes for the best ones.
In 2023, the winning idea included a recommendation the Milwaukee Police Department and the Sheriff’s Department employ drones to help improve public safety.
I am pleased to update readers that the Milwaukee Police Department is moving forward with a sustained effort to integrate drones into law enforcement — with the promise to significantly reduce crime in our city.
On occasion, Mayor Cavalier Johnson has compared Milwaukee to a “war zone” due to the criminal activity harming our fellow citizens. While the crime statistics don’t yet show it, progress is being made quietly behind the scenes to deploy drones for more effective public safety.
Milwaukee Police Department using ACLU guidelines
David Feldmeier, Inspector of the Milwaukee Police Department, has been quietly building the capability to employ drones. Our city does not have a reputation as a hotspot for innovation, but don’t tell that to Feldmeier. He believes Milwaukee can be a leader, and his actions prove that. Even though MPD didn’t receive the grant to pay for additional drone resources, he and his staff have managed to utilize existing financial resources to purchase a crucial drone and use it effectively to combat crime. It’s essential at the outset to understand that Inspector Fellman is committed to having the police department adhere to the ACLU guidelines for the use of drones.
Despite all of the overblown rhetoric, Wisconsin law makes clear that drones are permissible, provided they’re not used in any place where an individual has an “expectation of privacy.” Drones were successfully used to protect attendees at the 2024 Republican National Convention, hosted in Milwaukee. Drones represent a deterrence to crime because anyone stealing a car or fleeing a police officer in a high-speed chase knows immediately that they cannot outrun a drone.
Here’s how Milwaukee police are using drones
Across the nation, the use of drones has been accelerating. Here are just a few of the examples, some of which are being used by the MPD to test what works here in Milwaukee:
➤First responders to distress calls. A drone can reach a life-threatening situation much faster than a patrol car or fire truck. The speed of response helps those in distress quickly, which saves lives. Across the nation, drones have been used in search and rescue operations for missing persons. They actually have infrared and thermal imaging available. They are faster and cheaper than deploying helicopters
➤Crime scenes in real time. There are several fronts on which MPD has been experimenting, including monitoring crime activity in real-time before officers are dispatched and their lives are put at risk. Sometimes, someone will report gunshots when it’s just firecrackers. The MPD will have wasted multiple officers’ time as well as deployed several squad cars, all of which can be avoided by surveillance through drones.
A good example was relayed by Sgt. Chris Boss. He described how on St. Patrick’s Day, they used the MPD’s drone to observe a “Shamrock Shuffle” incident at a local bar fight where people’s lives were in danger. He was able to inform police officers in advance who perpetrated the fight and what to look for when they arrived at the scene. Nobody got hurt, and the perpetrator was arrested.
➤Video testimony. Another value of drones is that they can record and produce evidence of a crime scene. That video evidence can be introduced in a court of law. It means that local residents do not have to put their lives at risk for what historically been known as “snitches get stitches” it’s one thing to get arrested but they also have to be convicted and this facilitates the likelihood of successful convictions by giving district attorneys the kind of evidence they need in a court of law.
➤Shot spotter effectiveness improved. Currently, MPD has shot spotter capabilities, allowing police to quickly determine the location of a shooting. The department hopes to implement a program that enables a drone to immediately arrive at the scene where shots have been identified, thereby providing real-time visual support before police officers can even reach the scene.
➤High risk incidents. Drones can scout buildings or areas when tragedy occurs and before officers arrive, providing them with a real-time view of the environment and the ability to assess potential dangers to personnel.
➤Traffic monitoring and management. Drones are being deployed throughout the country to analyze traffic flow and provide visual assistance during crashes or major events. The city has invested in speed bumps and now red cameras to help identify and ticket those who engage in dangerous driving activity. But nothing works faster than a drone to apprehend in real time those endangering us by high-speed driving, or, for that matter, those using stolen vehicles. We cannot hope to win the battle for the safety of our community without using the latest and best technology or without the best people and the most advanced technological capabilities.
Business leaders encouraged to put dollars behind drones
Our citizens and the business community have the most at stake. The Greater Milwaukee Committee, through its Public Safety Committee, has met to review and consider support for the Milwaukee Police Department’s efforts. I encourage them to utilize the resources of their members to help provide funding to accelerate the implementation of this innovative idea.
Likewise, members of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce often face daily losses due to criminal activity. Drones represent an ideal marriage between the private sector advances in technology and the needs of a governmental agency like MPD. The long-term result will be a dramatic improvement in public safety while simultaneously reducing the cost of government to prevent and detect criminal activity. Milwaukee has so much going for it as a city, but its reputation for being safe from crime will, in the long run, determine whether our city can attract and be a safe place for citizens. We’re on the right path.
Have an innovative idea? Here’s how to enter 2025 contest
As a reminder, the 2025 Daniel Hoan Foundation Annual and Innovation in Milwaukee Government Contest will award $40,000 in prizes to those citizens who offer innovative ideas to improve our government and that have the potential to reduce its costs.
This incudes ideas that address Milwaukee’s governmental services, including sanitation, street, sidewalk, and bridge maintenance, as well as drinking water. sewer management, public works, public schools, and neighborhood services. It also encompasses seasonal issues such as snow and ice removal and parking regulations. Enter at innovatemkegov.org
Daniel Steininger is president of the Daniel Hoan Foundation, grandson of Daniel Hoan, and former chair of the Port of Milwaukee Harbor Commission.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The Milwaukee Police Department isn’t using drones to spy, but to make you safer | Opinion
Reporting by Daniel Steininger / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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