Milwaukee police chief visits President Biden for talk on crime issues
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman visited the White House on Wednesday as President Joe Biden touted his administration’s approach to reducing crime.
Norman was among a group of police officials from across the country who participated in a private roundtable discussion with Biden after the president made public remarks celebrating preliminary reports of drops in crime last year.
For that discussion, Norman said he was seated right next to the president.
“It’s not often you get to sit and chat with the president of the United States, so definitely I’m honored,” he said.
Norman said he scored an invitation through his membership with the Major Cities Chiefs Association. He was joined by officials from Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, Detroit and other cities.
Biden thanked the “law enforcement and community leaders here today who have helped bring down violent crime rates in their cities.”
Norman said he was able to speak with Biden directly on a range of issues, including community violence, firearms and supporting community members experiencing trauma and mental health issues.
He also said he discussed federal support for the upcoming Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, as well as ways to better fund police officers and violence interrupters.
“We need to lean into this collective work to ensure
“We need to lean into this collective work to ensure that we’re doing everything we can to impact the public safety issue.”
that we’re doing everything we can to impact the public safety issue,” he said.
In 2020, the U.S. saw a historic increase in homicides, which were mostly committed with firearms. Experts have attributed the jump to the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic and damaged policecommunity relations following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The nation’s homicide rate has declined since then but is still above 2019 levels. An analysis of 32 cities showed homicides fell by 10% in 2023, but were still 18% higher than in 2019, according to the Council on Criminal Justice.
Milwaukee saw three years of record-breaking homicides beginning in 2020, only for them to drop about 20% in 2023. Homicides in 2023 were still about 75% higher than 2019, according to preliminary numbers.
In a press statement Wednesday, the White House highlighted Milwaukee’s investment of federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act, including the funding of gun crime investigations, 911 dispatchers, improved street lighting, community violence interruption efforts and expanded programming for youth.
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman