Evaluation of the Aggression Suppression Program, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Summary
This report evaluates the Aggression Suppression Program, an 18-month demonstration project launched by the Milwaukee Police Department in 1998 with funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The study addressed the growing public concern regarding aggressive driving, defined as a combination of moving traffic offenses that endanger others. The primary research objectives were to determine if highly publicized, intensified enforcement could alter driver attitudes and behaviors, test law enforcement willingness to cite non-speeding aggressive violations, and assess the effectiveness of innovative enforcement technologies and public awareness strategies. The program consisted of three phases: baseline data collection, a six-month enforcement and publicity campaign, and evaluation. The enforcement phase, launched in March 1999, involved 20 law enforcement agencies and utilized a series of three-week "sub-theme" campaigns targeting specific offenses such as tailgating, red-light running, and weaving. Strategies included targeted enforcement at high-crash corridors during peak congestion, officer training, and the deployment of innovative technologies like in-vehicle video cameras, laser speed detection, and plainclothes spotters. Public awareness efforts relied on earned media coverage and educational materials, as federal grant restrictions prohibited paid advertising. The evaluation found that the program was exemplary in planning and implementation, with strong participation from all agencies. Enforcement results showed a significant shift in citation patterns; non-speed aggressive traffic citations increased by 55.2% for the Milwaukee Police Department and 29.9% for the County Sheriff compared to the previous year, while speed citations decreased or remained stable. Behavioral observations at targeted intersections revealed a decline in egregious red-light running from 6.5% to 4.9%, whereas comparison intersections saw an increase from 2.9% to 12.7%. Crash data indicated a citywide reduction in total crashes (–4.8%) and personal injury/fatality crashes (–6.6%), with greater reductions observed on targeted corridors. Driver surveys showed increased perceptions of the likelihood of being ticketed for red-light violations, though overall attitude changes were modest. The study concludes that targeted enforcement combined with publicity effectively reduces aggressive driving behaviors and crashes. The program demonstrated that law enforcement can successfully broaden their focus beyond speeding to include other aggressive maneuvers. However, the authors note that the reliance on earned media limited the campaign's reach, suggesting that future programs would benefit from paid media to achieve more visible and focused public attention. The findings provide a model for other communities seeking to implement similar aggressive driving suppression strategies.
Key finding
Targeted enforcement of aggressive driving offenses led to a 55.2% increase in non-speed citations by the Milwaukee Police Department and significant citywide reductions in police-reported crashes, with greater reductions on targeted corridors.
Methodology
field_study
Provenance
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| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | rosap | — | — | 2 | 2026-05-23 |
| archive | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
| clean | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-01 |
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| embed | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-02 |
| enrich | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 3 | 2026-06-10 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 19 | 2026-06-11 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.
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- Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation, policy recommendations
- Empirical Findings: observational prevalence