A group of Wisconsin legislators is suggesting that Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman and his command staff consider hitting the streets on patrol amid the escalating staffing crisis that they say is endangering officers and citizens.
They also are demanding that the contract impasse be immediately resolved; officers have gone without pay raises for 2.5 years, exacerbating a retention and recruitment crisis. The city has repeatedly asked for extensions on the contract negotiations, which are now before an arbitrator, and is balking at giving officers back pay, even though they already earn less than some area departments in safer areas.
The group of legislators penned the letter this week to Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson. Two of the legislators who signed the document – Jim Piwowarczyk and Van Wanggaard – are former police officers. One, Bob Donovan, is a former Milwaukee alderman. (Note: Piwowarczyk is a co-founder of WRN).
“We have heard the calls from citizens about the increased levels of violence in the City of Milwaukee, especially in the once-peaceful areas downtown,” the legislators wrote. “Citizens are urging immediate action to be taken despite the current challenges facing the city and the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD).”
They added: “Some have called for the National Guard to be deployed to the City of Milwaukee to curb the ongoing chaos and violence. This request underscores the widespread concern among Wisconsinites. Deadly reckless driving, increased homicides, and now a proliferation of violence in the downtown area, including Water Street, have reached a breaking point. Milwaukee and law enforcement agencies across the state have struggled to recruit and retain officers to protect our streets. However, this cannot continue to serve as an excuse for inaction.”
In response to a recent string of violence on Water Street, MPD “announced it is moving officers from other deserving neighborhoods to address issues downtown, but this will not resolve the issue and may worsen the lack of enforcement in neighborhoods that desperately need it,” wrote the lawmakers. “The challenges facing public safety and MPD are significant, but reallocating officers from one area to another is not a sustainable solution.”
The legislators asked the mayor to take the following steps:
- “First, we ask you to urge Chief Norman to temporarily reorganize MPD to allow for the maximum amount of available sworn officers to be assigned to our streets. This could include senior command staff and Chief Norman. The dangers of an understaffed MPD have been thoroughly documented. Calls to address this before it became a critical issue have largely fallen on deaf ears, and now law-abiding citizens are left to deal with the consequences.”
- “Second, it is imperative that the labor agreement between the Milwaukee Police Association and the City of Milwaukee be immediately resolved. Officers working without a contract for nearly three years is unacceptable, leaving officers feeling like second-class employees. This situation has eroded morale among the police ranks and made recruiting new officers nearly impossible.”
Concluded the legislators: “The City of Milwaukee needs every available sworn officer out on our streets protecting our citizens and restoring law and order. While we stand committed to assisting in any way possible, the actions of local officials will ultimately determine the safety of Milwaukee’s residents.”
