MPD issues crime alert: Increase in robberies in downtown 'entertainment areas' and Murray Hill

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee police issued a crime alert on Jan. 27 for the city's downtown "entertainment area" and the Murray Hill neighborhood, noting an increase in armed robberies and car break-ins.

"We’ve seen an increase in entry to autos around the entertainment district. Also on the east end, near the UWM area, an increase in armed robberies occurring in the Murray Hill neighborhood," said Milwaukee Police Inspector Shannon Seymer-Tabaska.

Those "entertainment areas" include the Deer District and the Third Ward. The inspector says these crimes are happening on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays between the hours of 4-7 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.

MPD is urging folks to be vigilant when parking their cars. They recommend parking in well-lit areas, making sure there are no valuables in the vehicle, and if guns are in your car, make sure they are correctly stored in a lock box.

Seymer-Tabaska also recommends not carrying a visible purse, if possible, as thieves are targeting cellphones and personal bags.

According to city data, robberies in the city as a whole have increased by 18%.

"It's been Jan. 3 through Jan. 23 that we've seen this uptick. We've had 14 robberies occur in that concentrated area and around it," said Seymer-Tabaska.

She hopes with the saturation of patrol in those hotspot areas and the situational awareness bulletins located in those spots, robberies will decrease.