Unregistered vehicles involved in reckless driving will now be towed under new Milwaukee enforcement measure
About a half-dozen vehicles in Milwaukee have been towed since Sunday under the city’s new reckless driving enforcement measure.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Police Chief Jeffrey Norman gathered at the city’s tow lot Monday morning to remind residents that as of Sunday, the city will begin towing unregistered vehicles that engage in reckless driving.
Police said the first seven vehicles towed under the measure had all been pulled over by police for speeding between 27 and 37 mph over the posted limit. One tow led to officers recovering a gun and "a large quantity of illegal drugs."
Both he and Johnson acknowledged how disruptive it can be for residents to have a car towed, but they described the measure as a necessary response to a reckless driving problem that over the last few years has emerged as one of the most pressing public safety issues locally.
The measure also comes as a response to frustrations from residents over the pervasiveness of unregistered vehicles in the city and their penchant for driving recklessly.
More: 'This has gotta stop': Brother of Milwaukee crash victim speaks out against reckless driving
“I don’t want to be doing this, but unfortunately we have too many people who are disobeying the rules of the road and endangering the greater public safety,” Johnson said.
Police will now tow unregistered vehicles that have engaged in at least one of four infractions: reckless driving, speeding 25 mph above the limit, fleeing police or racing.
Officers are expected to tow those cars during a traffic stop or otherwise whenever an officer “comes into contact” with a vehicle involved in a crash investigation.
In order to recover a towed vehicle, owners will have to present a valid driver’s license, proof of registration, proof of insurance and pay all associated fees.
Norman said the measure should also force car owners to think harder about who they loan their vehicle to.
“If you are loaning your car out, understand who you’re loaning your car out to,” he said. “It’s important to understand that the responsibility is on you just as well as the one who is driving your car.”
The measure was passed by a 5-1 vote by the Fire and Police Commission in February. Officials delayed the enforcement until May 1 to launch a public awareness campaign in advance.
The lone vote in opposition came from Commissioner Amanda Avalos, who argued the measure does nothing to address root causes of reckless driving and that it would have disparate effects on certain communities in Milwaukee.
Other commissioners agreed with Avalos, but argued reckless driving was a pressing public safety issue that deserved such an enforcement tool. Ed Fallone, the chair of the commission, has indicated he wants to review the effects of the towing policy in December to potentially amend or repeal the measure.
Monday’s press conference came one day after a speeding car ran a red light, crashed into a second vehicle and then struck Gerald Newton, 72, and killed him at the intersection of North 20th and West Burleigh streets. Newton was a Vietnam War veteran who had struggled with homelessness in the past, according to a report from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office.
In 2020, Milwaukee County set a record with 107 fatal crashes. Seventy-eight occurred in the city of Milwaukee. That was followed by 87 fatal crashes countywide and 66 in the city in 2021, according to police.
Police have reported 18 motor vehicle deaths in Milwaukee as of Sunday, compared to 20 as of the same date in 2021.
Contact Elliot Hughes at elliot.hughes@jrn.com or 414-704-8958. Follow him on Twitter @elliothughes12.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee to tow unregistered vehicles involved in reckless driving
