MILWAUKEE, WI (WTAQ-WRN) — The number of drug-related arrests made by Milwaukee police has declined.
Despite record-breaking fatal overdoses in Milwaukee County, data from the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Unified Crime Reporting dashboard shows annual declines in drug-related arrests in the city.
There were 2,210 arrests for crimes including drug sale or possession in 2017, while in 2022, that dropped to 724, a 67% decrease.
Milwaukee Police Department Captain James Hutchinson said the main reason is a shift in focus towards reducing violent crime, as well as a reduction in personnel.
