MADISON, Wis. — On Wednesday officials from the city of Madison presented their ongoing efforts to make the city a safer place for residents.

Madison police chief Shon Barnes said that gun shots have decreased this year by 14.5% compared to 2022. So far this year, there have been 71 shots fired and in 2022 there were 83 at this time.

While that decrease is a good sign, he and other officers would like to see that number drop even more.

“No amount of gun crime is welcome in the city of Madison and we are all working together to ensure that this does not happen,” said Barnes. 

Chief Barnes also mentioned that residential burglaries have seen a 20% drop compared to this time last year.

He wanted to thank not only his officers for this, but also the Dane County community.

(Courtesy of the Madison Police Department)

“When we go out to investigate a burglary, we canvas the neighborhood, we talk to people, we have gotten a lot of good information and cooperation from our community members,” said Barnes.

When it comes to car thefts, Barnes asked that the community play a bigger role. While his data shows car thefts have slightly decreased, he would like to see that number drop even more.

“We are seeing keys left in vehicles, we are seeing vehicles left running and unlocked and we need your help on this one,” said Barnes. 

A big focus for the Madison Police Department has been on the State Street entertainment district.

Now that the summer has arrived, more residents are going out to the bars and Aurielle Smith, director of policy, planning and evaluation with Public Health Madison and Dane County wanted to remind residents about their Safer Bar Program.

“So far the program has trained two establishments [this year] but we are looking to train additional establishments and create a network of businesses that promote safe practices,” Smith said.

The Safer Bar Program trains bar staff and managers in de-escalation and intervention techniques, hoping to make bars a safer place for residents. There are currently seven different bars involved in the program.

To find out which bars have been trained or to find out how to get your restaurant or bar trained, follow this link to learn more.