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Criminal Defense | June 13, 2022

Milwaukee Homicides Increase Despite Drop in Violent Crimes

As a criminal defense law firm, we are always interested in news related to our work. So, when the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) released a report detailing crime in the city, we paid close attention.

The report detailed three areas: violent crime, reckless driving, and auto theft. The statistics compare the first five months of 2022 with previous years.

While there is some good news to be found, other statistics show a significant increase in some crimes:

  • Homicides are up 39%.
  • Non-fatal shootings are up 6%.
  • Carjackings are up 10%.

Overall Drop in Violent and Property Crimes in the City

Violent crimes overall are experiencing a 7% decrease so far in 2022. That’s great news after two years of rising crime rates. Driving that reduction is a drop in these crimes:

Property crimes have decreased by 4%:

  • Burglary: Decreased 16%
  • Auto Theft: Decreased 9%

Property crimes that have increased include arson (28%) and theft (3%).

Increased Use of Ghost Guns

Ghost guns have been in the national and local news for the last few years. Some jurisdictions in the U.S. has banned the sale, use, or possession of these guns. They get the name “ghost” because they lack serial numbers, making them untraceable. These weapons are typically built at home from a kit. So far in 2022, 39 ghost guns have been processed in the city by the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). That’s more ghost guns than all of 2021 (37) and almost five times the number processed in 2020.

The use of fully automatic weapons (and weapons modified to allow fully automatic firing) has increased a staggering 334%.

Kia and Hyundai Are Most-Stolen Vehicles in Milwaukee

Auto thefts are trending downward, but more than 3,500 vehicles have been stolen so far in 2022. More Kias are stolen than any other auto, followed by Hyundai.

The most-stolen vehicles in Milwaukee are as follows:

  • Kia: 31%
  • Hyundai: 26%
  • General Motors: 10%
  • Honda: 7%
  • Fiat Chrysler: 6%
  • Toyota: 5%
  • Ford: 5%
  • Nissan: 4%
  • Volkswagen 1%

The national uptick in catalytic converter thefts is hitting here, too. Between Jan. 1 and May 31, 2022, there were 399 catalytic converter thefts. That’s an increase of 179% over the previous year.

Percent Cleared by Arrest Lags National Average

When looking at the percentage of cases “cleared” by arresting a suspect, 2022 has fewer cases cleared in most categories than last year. MPD also is behind the national average in every category. For transparency, the national average is from 2019.

The percentages of cleared cased in MPD are as follows, with the national average in parentheses:

  • Homicide: 52% (55%)
  • Rape: 23% (28%)
  • Robbery: 22% (24%)
  • Aggravated Assault: 31% (41%)
  • Burglary: 6% (11%)
  • Auto Theft: 4% (10%)
  • Arson: 7% (19%)

The Role of a Criminal Defense Attorney

Every American has rights when facing criminal charges. Without the guardrails, people could be routinely sent to prison based on very little. A defense attorney is not soft on crime but is strong on ensuring their clients are treated fairly in throughout the judicial process.

Contact us if you have been arrested or believe you are being investigated for a crime. Call (414) 347-9334 at any time on any day for experienced criminal defense.

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