After 7 teens arrested for shooting at security guard, MPD chief talks about frustrations with recent surge in youth crime

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman is again imploring the community to proactively reach young people to try and slow a surge in youth violence.

We sat down with the chief a few days after another high-profile crime involving teens.

There are no easy explanations, and therefore no easy solutions.

Chief Norman acknowledges his message is nothing new, that trying to stop teens from committing acts of violence has been a challenge for a while.

But he warns lives are at stake after another high-profile, brazen incident.

Chief Norman said, "We should not be desensitized or feel like this is another day in Milwaukee. No, it's not."

But a recent surge in violence committed by teens has community leaders again at a loss with how to stop it. "If I had that answer I'd be using it," Norman said.

On Tuesday night, seven teens tried to break into a car parked in the Third Ward. A security guard shot into the air to scare them off, and the teens shot at the guard.

They took off, later fled from a traffic stop, and were eventually arrested after they crashed. They ranged in age from 13-17.

Norman said every briefing he gets each morning includes crimes committed by teens. "Sometimes those nights are sleepless. Because when we have young ones in possession of firearms who are willing to use it, I cannot wrap my mind around that."

The parking lot shooting is the latest in a string of high-profile crimes:

• In June, six teens between the ages of 15 and 18 stole a car, then fled from police into a construction zone.
• In June and July, a 14-year-old boy went on a crime spree: 13 counts of armed robbery in six weeks, and at least four stolen cars; it ended with a deadly hit-and-run.

Norman said there's often a common denominator: "Some of these individuals we're dealing with are repeat offenders. And that is a challenge."

In an open letter to the community, the chief said bluntly, "these consequences are not changing our youth’s behavior."

He said, "The letter was not just for one particular group or one particular entity, this is a conversation for us all."

We asked about holding adults accountable, similar to the city's curfew restrictions. Norman said, "We are always ready to hold parents accountable. In fact, we have a couple things in the pipeline."

He didn't elaborate when pressed but said announcements would come later.

The city's Office of Community Wellness and Safety sent a statement that read in part, "This surge is not just a statistic; it represents a profound crisis impacting the lives of our youth, families, and neighborhoods."

And Norman said anyone could be victimized if they don't intervene with young people. "Tomorrow it could be one of us, one of our officers. And any version of what that could potentially be is unacceptable."

Many of the city's crime statistics are actually trending in a positive direction, but Norman said there is still a lot of work to do.

He also talked about the positive responses to recent National Night Out events as proof of productive community engagement.