After several conversations with the Milwaukee Police Department and the Department of Emergency Communications over the past few weeks, a change has been made to dispatcher protocol when citizens report crimes. This change comes in response to feedback indicating that the level of service we expect has NOT been up to par. Many people who called to report a crime have not been presented with ALL available options. Instead, they were often only told to go to the nearest MPD district station, which can be unrealistic -- especially for those whose vehicle has just been stolen.
Currently, online reporting is available for the following types of incidents:
So far this year, 5,598 reports have been submitted through MPD's online reporting system.
Starting today, no matter where in Milwaukee you are reporting a crime, I want to be informed if you're not being presented with all your options. This will help track dispatcher shortfalls in relation to this protocol and provide important metrics, while ensuring accountability. It is important to note that limiting reporting options opens the door to inaccurate crime statistics, as some crimes go unreported when people cannot get to a station and have no practical alternative.
Lastly, I want to thank our dedicated dispatchers for their hard work and for adhering to these protocols moving forward.