Federal initiative in Milwaukee results in more than 250 arrests of violent offenders
More than 250 people suspected of committing violent offenses were arrested in Milwaukee over a two-week period this summer in a partnership with police and the U.S. Marshals Service.
The initiative marks the third occasion in less than two years that Milwaukee police have partnered with federal authorities to track down fugitives wanted under suspicion of homicide, sexual assault and other serious offenses.
The arrests this summer closed 417 warrants, including 37 for homicide, nine for sexual assault, 75 for assault, 20 for robbery and 26 for weapon offenses, according to Anna Ruzinski, the U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
More than 100 guns were also seized — almost a fifth of the total number of firearms recovered during a federal initiative that covered 20 cities.
“We are having true collaborations with evidence,” Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said. “We’re proud of these partnerships.”
The initiative, called Operation North Star III, is part of a nationwide effort from the U.S. Justice Department to focus resources on a surge in violent crime across the country since 2020.
Nationwide, homicides dropped 9.4% and nonfatal shootings 5.6% in 30 cities in the first half of 2023, according to a report from the Council on Criminal Justice. However, nationwide homicides are still up 24% compared to 2019.
After three years of record-breaking homicides, Milwaukee has seen a 23% drop in killings in 2023 despite a 2% rise in nonfatal shootings.
Nationally, Operation North Star III netted 600 closed homicide warrants, $1 million in cash seized and 555 firearms recovered, the Marshals Service said. Of those guns, 103 were seized in Milwaukee.
Ruzinski said that reflected the way the task force functioned locally and wasn't an indication Milwaukee has more guns than other cities. She said the task force in Milwaukee focused on searching a home after making an arrest if officers suspected other illegal activity.
“Our task force does not simply go in and look for a wanted fugitive, go in, grab that person, arrest them and leave the scene,” she said.
Nevertheless, the historic gun violence in Milwaukee has been attributed to, in part, the easy access to firearms, and police have long wanted to disrupt their flow into the city.
“We are focusing on firearms in many different levels,” Norman said. “We don’t want people leaving guns in cars, leaving guns around their homes. We understand there are individuals who are acquiring these firearms, violent offenders who are doing violent things.”
Operation North Star has been rolled out in two previous occasions, with Milwaukee police participating in one that ran in January. That resulted in 114 arrests that cleared 213 warrants, including 11 for homicide. Forty-five guns were seized.
From May through July 2022, Milwaukee police also participated in a regional operation with the U.S. Marshals Service that also covered Waukesha, Racine, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Green Bay, Oshkosh and Appleton.
That operation led to 268 arrests, which cleared 47 warrants for homicide. Numbers specific to Milwaukee were not available.
Contact Elliot Hughes at elliot.hughes@jrn.com or 414-704-8958. Follow him on Twitter @elliothughes12.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee police, US Marshals arrest more than 250 violent offenders
