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No.

Since David Crowley became Milwaukee County executive, the number of juvenile homicide victims in the county has ranged between 19 and 27 annually, with no clear trend upward or downward.

Crowley, who was sworn in in May 2020, is the Democratic nominee for Wisconsin governor in the Nov. 3 election.

Here are the number of Milwaukee County homicide victims ages 6-17:

2025: 19

2024: 27

2023: 22

2022: 25

2021: 21

2020: 19

An Americans for Prosperity ad claimed that “under Crowley, Milwaukee juvenile homicides surged 57%.”

The figure refers to juvenile homicide suspects, not homicide deaths, in the city of Milwaukee and not countywide.

In January, Milwaukee police said 22 juvenile homicide suspects in the city in 2025 were a 57% increase from 2024.

Most law enforcement in the county is done by city and village police departments. They are not under the control of the county executive.

This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Milwaukee County Medical Examiner: Annual Report 2025
Milwaukee County Medical Examiner: Annual Report 2024
Milwaukee County Medical Examiner: Annual Report 2023
Milwaukee County Medical Examiner: Annual Report 2022
Milwaukee County Medical Examiner: Annual Report 2021
Milwaukee County Medical Examiner: Annual Report 2020
Email: Americans for Prosperity Wisconsin
620 WTMJ: Homicides in Milwaukee went up last year; overall crime was down
CBS 58: 2025 Milwaukee crime report: Homicides on the rise, other violent crimes down

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Did Milwaukee juvenile homicides increase 57% under David Crowley?

by Tom Kertscher / Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin Watch
September 25, 2026

<h1>Did Milwaukee juvenile homicides increase 57% under David Crowley?</h1>
<p class="byline">by Tom Kertscher / Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin Watch <br />September 25, 2026</p>

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<p><em><em><a href="https://www.wisconsinwatch.org/">Wisconsin Watch</a></em> partners with&nbsp;<a href="https://gigafact.org/">Gigafact</a>&nbsp;to produce Fact Briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. <a href="https://wisconsinwatch.org/2023/05/how-wisconsin-watch-checks-claims-for-its-gigafact-fact-briefs/">Read our methodology</a> to learn how we check claims.</em></p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">No.</h2>
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<p>Since David Crowley became Milwaukee County executive, the number of juvenile homicide victims in the county has ranged between 19 and 27 annually, with no clear trend upward or downward.</p>
<p>Crowley, who was sworn in in May 2020, is the Democratic nominee for Wisconsin governor in the Nov. 3 election.</p>
<p>Here are the number of Milwaukee County homicide victims ages 6-17:</p>
<p><a href="https://county.milwaukee.gov/files/county/Medical-Examiner/ME-Annual-Report-2025.pdf">2025</a>: 19&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://county.milwaukee.gov/files/county/Medical-Examiner/Documents/Annual-Report-2024.pdf">2024</a>: 27</p>
<p><a href="https://county.milwaukee.gov/files/county/Medical-Examiner/Documents/Annual-Report-2023.pdf">2023</a>: 22</p>
<p><a href="https://county.milwaukee.gov/files/county/Medical-Examiner/Documents/Annual-Report-2022.pdf">2022</a>: 25</p>
<p><a href="https://county.milwaukee.gov/files/county/Medical-Examiner/AnnualReport2021FINAL1.pdf">2021</a>: 21</p>
<p><a href="https://county.milwaukee.gov/files/county/Medical-Examiner/Documents/AnnualReport2020.pdf">2020</a>: 19</p>
<p>An Americans for Prosperity <a href="https://x.com/meganjnovak/status/2099556023220465948?s=20">ad</a> claimed that “under Crowley, Milwaukee juvenile homicides surged 57%.”</p>
<p>The figure refers to juvenile homicide <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iU21zDcXtdD-4J60rZnxjkC8w-TNnbSGJL8hVJKmTk0/edit?usp=sharing">suspects</a>, not homicide deaths, in the city of Milwaukee and not countywide.</p>
<p>In January, Milwaukee police <a href="https://wtmj.com/news/2026/01/08/homicides-in-milwaukee-went-up-last-year-overall-crime-was-down/">said</a> 22 juvenile homicide suspects in the city in 2025 were a <a href="https://www.cbs58.com/news/2025-milwaukee-crime-report-homicides-on-the-rise-other-violent-crimes-down">57%</a> increase from 2024.</p>
<p>Most law enforcement in the county is done by city and village police departments. They are not under the control of the county executive.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sources</h2>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://gigafact.org/fact-brief-quiz/wisconsinwatch"><img src="https://wisconsinwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/take_fact_brief_quiz.ea0075f4-1-782x440.jpg" alt="Think you know the facts? Put your knowledge to the test. Take the Fact Brief quiz" class="wp-image-1300309" /></a></figure></p>
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Did Milwaukee juvenile homicides increase 57% under David Crowley?

No.

Sources

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