The manager of the Dunkin' Donuts at 7th and Wisconsin, formerly a big drug hot spot and hangout for panhandlers and drinkers, credits O'Grosky and other beat cops for helping turn the business around. A lot of it has to do with these officers. The goal is not to drive them out. Most cops will repeatedly warn them before ticketing, he insists, especially if they are cooperative. Serious crime is down in the downtown, and was never very high to begin with, despite public perceptions to the contrary.
Police say quality of life enforcement has reduced auto break-ins and vandalism.
There is a very visible presence of officers downtown, whether on bike, foot or in squad cars. This means officers often can focus on smaller stuff. But auto theft and break-ins, and to a much lesser degree assaults and robberies, still occur. Still, jaywalking stops of the homeless, Police Chief Arthur Jones says, are a lose-lose proposition for police. These are real incidents.