The Crime Report (https://thecrimereport.org/tag/milwaukee/)
The newly released 10-year plan takes a public health approach, looking at causes of violence and modeling strategies used in other cities. It aims to curb gun violence, promote restorative justice, support children and families, and bolster coordination of violence prevention efforts.
Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. was a controversial figure who rose to national prominence with his no-holds-barred conservative rhetoric and full-throated support of Donald Trump’s candidacy. He resigned without notice “to pursue other opportunities.”
A preliminary draft report by the U.S. Department of Justice suggests that Milwaukee police communicate poorly, make too many traffic stops, and apply inconsistent standards when disciplining officers. The DOJ said the MPD has given too little attention to nurturing trust with “the people they protect and serve.”
A 90-page “blueprint for peace” is centered on six goals, including support for families, promotion of economic opportunity, neighborhood safety and coordination of anti-violence efforts.
Edward Flynn, the city’s longtime chief, has hired legal counsel after what he viewed as a threat to his job security in a dispute over the city’s police pursuit policy.
Officer Dominique Heaggan-Brown shot Sylville Smith last Aug. 13. After the verdict, the dead man’s kin called for racial unity, and the prosecutor noted the difficulty of self-defense cases.
Juries in recent days have acquitted two more cops involved in controversial fatal shootings of black men. One criminologist says jurors are reluctant to convict: “They just don’t want to second-guess officers in those life-or-death decisions.”
Last month, Officer Leon Davis shot his wife, Sherida, then killed himself. Police had been notified of his violent behavior several times in the past, including a domestic violence report against him in 2015 that was ruled “baseless” by an internal investigation. City officials and relatives of the victim want to know if Davis got special treatment because he was a cop.