Tuesday, June 24, 2025
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Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Milwaukee Press Club 'Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism' 2020 & 2021 Award Winners

Chief & Union Blast Comparison of Milwaukee Police K9 Unit to Nazis

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Both the Milwaukee Police Chief and Milwaukee Police Association were quick to blast Alderman Khalif J. Rainey‘s proposal to prohibit the use of canines by Milwaukee Police after Rainey compared the use of dogs to Nazi Germany.

“For you to compare the Milwaukee K-9 unit to ‘Nazi Germany,’ it either shows your complete lack of respect for the Jewish Community or your ignorance of history,” the police union wrote of Rainey.

Police Chief Michael Brunson called Rainey’s claims “inflammatory and specious” and said dogs are rarely used in use-of-force matters.

Rainey said, “It has long been true that canines are used disproportionaly (sic) on people of color, and it is necessary for us to take action to prevent anyone from being the victim of vicious canine attacks going forward.” The proposal continued:  “Nazis took pleasure in letting the dogs do their work in such a vicious manner that is almost too gruesome to even contemplate”.

On Oct. 22, the proposal passed the Public Safety and Health Committee on a vote of 3-2 and will be sent to the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission for consideration.  According to the meeting minutes, the vote was on a “substitute resolution urging the Fire and Police Commission to disallow canines as a use of force.”

The yes votes were Aldermen Rainey, Marina Dimitrijevic, and Chantia Lewis voting with Scott Spiker and Mark Borkowski abstaining.

See the MPD’s standard operating procedure involving canines here.

The Milwaukee Police Association in a press release (see below) demanded an apology from Rainey, condemned the comparison of the Milwaukee Police Department K-9 unit to  “Nazi Germany,” and further stated that the K-9 unit has instead “saved many citizens and many officers.”

Milwaukee police k9
Photo by: jake schneider

Acting Milwaukee Police Chief Michael Brunson was also very critical, stating,  “That was pretty disturbing to me that someone would make that correlation.”

Milwaukee police k9

According to Milwaukee Record.com, Brunson characterized MPD’s use of force by canines as “very, very rare events.” He said that MPD’s standard operating procedure (SOP) surrounding the use of force by canines is “very specific,” and that canines “absolutely cannot be used in a protest-type situation.” What types of cases call for a canine use of force? “It has to be a felony crime, first of all,” Brunson said. “Second of all, if it’s a misdemeanor, it has to involve a weapon.”

Brunson continued that so far in 2020, there have been 420 total deployments of K9s. In 2019, there were 999. One citizen was bitten each year. “They are very, very infrequently involved in any type of use-of-force situation,” he said, and further stated, “We don’t use them proactively to use force on anyone. And so, the insinuation here that was made was, in my opinion, inflammatory and specious on top of that. I would appreciate if facts are obtained before a press release goes out.”

In 2018, in the latest report available on the Fire and Police Commission’s website, only four use of force incidents involved canines.

Milwaukee police k9
2018 fpc report on use of force by mpd

Alderman Khalif J. Rainey Proposal

Milwaukee police k9

This is the full text of Rainey’s press release:

Rainey’s proposal would address the concerns of using canines in use of force situations in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the Milwaukee Police Department. Non-white suspects constitute the largest number of injuries resulting from dog-bites, and the history of canines being used against people of color gives ample reasoning to amend the MPD’s SOP.

‘This legislation would change a policy that is both demeaning and dangerous to the citizens of Milwaukee,’ Rainey said. ‘It has long been true that canines are used disproportionally (sic) on people of color, and it is necessary for us to take action to prevent anyone from being the victim of vicious canine attacks going forward.’

There were 200,000 attack canines used by Nazi Germany on the battlefield and in their camps, and they were used to brutally attack and maim any enemies of the Nazi party, and untold numbers of Jews were viciously killed at the hands of these attack dogs, he claimed. Nazis took pleasure in letting the dogs do their work in such a vicious manner that is almost too gruesome to even contemplate.

Police dogs were unleashed on Black protesters during the Civil Rights Era, and most notably at the Selma March. Protesters were bitten and lunged upon by these dogs as police used the canines to enforce the law and contain the protesters. Hardly any protection was provided by the police during these marches and many protesters were left at the mercy of dogs that had been trained to kill.

‘These practices from decades ago are still sadly in place today, and the use of police dogs has a much darker history than is typically realized by people who have only seen the dogs as a wagging tail and friendly face.’

The Cosponsors are Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II, Alderwoman Chantia Lewis, Alderwoman Nikiya Dodd, Alderman Ashanti Hamilton and Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs.


Milwaukee Police Union’s Response 

This is the Milwaukee Police Association’s response in full:

Alderman Khalif Rainey’s comparison of the Milwaukee Police Department K-9 unit to the canines that were used by “Nazi Germany” is uncalled for. The ‘Nazi Germany.’ as you call it, used dogs to help kill millions of innocent Jewish lives. As a matter of fact, the Milwaukee K-9 unit has saved many citizens and many officers. For you to compare the Milwaukee K-9 unit to ‘Nazi Germany,’ it either shows your complete lack of respect for the Jewish Community or your ignorance of history. It also proves Alderman Rainey’s ignorance and discrimination against the K-9 unit and the police department, as a whole. Anyone who signs onto this ‘legislation’ shows that they are ignorant of Milwaukee Police Department Policies and practices. The K-9 unit not only protects the lives of the citizens of Milwaukee, they also provide a value service to the department and the community as a whole.

Please, Alderman Rainey, tell me where the K-9 unit actively bit anyone during the protests of Milwaukee. Please, Alderman Rainey, tell me where the K-9 unit did anything wrong. The Milwaukee Police K-9’s train to save lives. Milwaukee K-9’s do not just attack citizens.

While many other jurisdictions are having fund raisers and other events for their K-9 unit, the City of Milwaukee is looking at destroying the Milwaukee K-9 unit.

You and your fellow alderpersons should be ashamed of yourselves by using the word “Nazi Germany” and comparing them to police officers.

Milwaukee Police Association DEMANDS an apology for the men and women that we REPRESENT and for your insensitivity to the Jewish Community.

 

Milwaukee police k9

Photo by: Jake Schneider

josh schoemann Washington County’s Early Vote

2026 GOP Candidate Josh Schoemann Challenges Evers’ Budget Approach

(The Center Square) – Josh Schoemann, the only Republican currently in the race for governor next year, is criticizing Gov. Tony Evers’ approach to the next state budget by comparing it to his plans in Washington County.

“In Washington County our budget cycle starts right now, and it’s not due until November. We will propose our budget goals to the County Board in the next couple of months. We will share ‘This is what we’re thinking.’ It gives them months of time to think those through, give us feedback, and [have] that kind of dialogue,” Schoemann explained in an interview on News Talk 1130 WISN.

Schoemann said that is far better than the approach Evers is taking again this year.

“That’s not how government is supposed to work,” Schoemann said. “It’s not the vision of the governor. It’s not the vision of any one person.”

Evers and the Republican legislative leaders who will write the budget have been involved in on-again, off-again budget talks this month. On Thursday, the governor’s office said those talks were off once again because of gridlock in the Senate.

“Ultimately, the Senate needs to decide whether they were elected to govern and get things done or not,” Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said in a post on X.

Schoemann’s criticism of Evers is nothing new. He has long been a critic of the governor and has turned that criticism up since launching his campaign for governor.

But the recent criticism was also aimed at other Republicans who may jump into the 20206 governor’s race later this year.

“Nobody else in this race on the Republican side, being rumored to this point, has the executive leadership of skills and history to be able to show ‘This is how I’ve done it before, and here’s how we’ll do it Madison,’” Schoemann said. “The results in Washington County speak for themselves.”

Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany is also rumored to be looking to get into the Republican race. Before he went to Congress, Tiffany was a Republican lawmaker in Madison.

Businessman and veteran Bill Berrien is also on the short list of likely GOP candidates for 2026.

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Wisconsin Budget Negotiations Reach Impasse Between Evers, Legislature

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin budget negotiations have reached an impasse with both sides pointing fingers at the other in Wednesday afternoon statements.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said Republican Legislative leaders backed out of negotiations after he agreed to “an income tax cut targeting Wisconsin’s middle-class and working families and eliminating income taxes for certain retirees.” He said Republican leaders would not agree to “meaningful increased investments in child care, K-12 schools, and the University of Wisconsin System.”

Republican Assembly leaders said the two sides were "far apart. Senate leaders say Evers’ desires “extend beyond what taxpayers can afford.”

“The Joint Committee on Finance will continue using our long-established practices of crafting a state budget that contains meaningful tax relief and responsible spending levels with the goal of finishing on time,” said a statement from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Assembly Finance Co-Chairman Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam.

Evers said that there were meetings between the sides every day this week before the impasse.

“I told Republicans I’d support their half of the deal and their top tax priorities – even though they’re very similar to bills I previously vetoed – because I believe that’s how compromise is supposed to work, and I was ready to make that concession in order to get important things done for Wisconsin’s kids,” Evers said.

Senate Republican leadership said that good faith negotiations have occurred since April on a budget compromise.

“Both sides of these negotiations worked to find compromise and do what is best for the state of Wisconsin,” said a statement from Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, and Senate Joint Finance Co-Chairman Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green.

In early May, the Joint Committee on Finance took 612 items out of Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal, including Medicaid expansion in the state, department creations and tax exemptions.

Born previously estimated that Evers’ budget proposal would lead to $3 billion in tax increases over the two-year span.

Wisconsin Policy Forum estimated that the proposal would spend down more than $4 billion of the state’s expected $4.3 billion surplus if it is enacted.

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DOJ Begins California Title IX Investigation Over ‘Trans’ Boys Dominating Girls’ Sports

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced it is investigating California for violating Title IX by allowing males to participate in female student sports.

“Title IX exists to protect women and girls in education,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for Civil Rights. “It is perverse to allow males to compete against girls, invade their private spaces, and take their trophies.”

In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning males from participating in female student sports, and he has threatened to block California's federal funding for continuing to defy his order. With California facing deficits in the tens of billions of dollars each year, it's unclear how the state would offset any losses or pauses in federal funding.

Notably, California Gov. Gavin Newsom hosted conservative pundit Charlie Kirk on his podcast and told Kirk that he thinks it’s “deeply unfair” that boys are participating in girls’ sports.

When asked later at a press conference what this means for state policy, Newsom demurred, painting the matter as a marginal, non-issue not worth his time.

“You're talking about a very small number of people, a very small number of athletes, and my responsibility is to address the pressing issues of our time,” said Newsom.

The California Interscholastic Federation, which governs student sports in California, has since responded to Trump’s threat by announcing a new pilot program to allow girls who otherwise would have qualified for sports finals had the finalist spots in girls’ sports not been taken by transgender-identifying boys to participate in said finals.

Title IX was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1972 to ensure that schools could not discriminate against female students. It requires they be provided with equal opportunities to engage in athletics, extracurriculars and education.

DOJ’s letter of interest says it is investigating whether California’s Assembly Bill 1266, which requires transgender-identifying students to be allowed to participate in sports consistent with their gender identities, violates Title IX.

“As a result of CIF’s policy, California’s top-ranked girls’ triple jumper, and second-ranked girls’ long-jumper, is a boy,” wrote the DOJ. “As recently as May 17, this male athlete was allowed to take winning titles that rightfully belong to female athletes in both events.”

“This male athlete will now be allowed to compete against those female athletes again for a state title in long, triple, and high jump,” continued the DOJ. “Other high school female athletes have alleged that they were likewise robbed of podium positions and spots on their teams after they were forced to compete against males.”

Should the DOJ find California is in violation of Title IX, it says it will “take appropriate action to eliminate that discrimination, including seeking injunctive relief.”

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