Urban Milwaukee Community Policing at the Census Tract and Neighborhood level to address Tinder Box Issues

                                Community Policing - Needed in Milwaukee

City Center Milwaukee - August 22, 2014 | DAY 139 | Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC continues to recognize the barriers to stewardship, ownership, entrepreneurship, citizenship, apprenticeship, mentorship, scholarship, fellowship, partnership and leadership for the removal of existential threats to safety intervention, safety prevention, quality of life and economic development within the Urban city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.


Racial tension and execution of two African American males in the St. Louis area has ignited a smoldering and continual distrust of law enforcement and those in the judicial system.

Since Urban Milwaukee has its share of misrepresentations, profilings, falsifying evidence, brutalization and killing of African American males by law enforcers, the likelihood of an explosion of tempers is a reality without the work of ALL to make serious and necessary changes.

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U. S. Attorney James Santelle - Eastern Wisconsin 

U.S. Department of Justice

This year, July 2, 2014, was the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Right Act of 1964.  U. S. Attorney James Santelle, Eastern District of Wisconsin hosted the Commemoration of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 at Marquette University in Milwaukee. 

It was here that Mary Glass, Chair/CEO, Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC received information abut the 2013 Selected Accomplishments of the Civil Rights Division.  They are:

• Expanding opportunity for all people:  by advancing the opportunity to learn, the opportunity to earn a living, the opportunity to live where one chooses, and the opportunity to worship freely in one's community.
• Safeguarding the fundamental infrastructure of democracy:  by protecting the right to vote and access to justice, by ensuring that communities have effective and democratically acountable policing, and by protecting those who protect us.
• Protecting the most vulnerable among us:  by ensuring that all in America can live free from fear of exploitation, discrimination, and violence.

MPA LLC will take a page from the information shared by Attorney Santelle to proceed in helping to provide Safety Intervention, Safety Prevention and Unfinished business in law enforcement in the Urban city of Milwaukee that is < less than, inappropriate and lacking oversight that include the People, especially People of Color and census tract stakeholders.

Glass said, "We will seek the guidance of the office of U. S. Attorney Santelle for championing sound and sorely needed civil rights policy initiatives, regulatory and legal guidance in enforcement areas.  We will start with 'Double Standards' of enforcement and the recruitment of more African American and People of Color for Community Policing in/on the Milwaukee Police Department". 

Double Standards for Caucasians causes Tinder Box

The last two weeks of heightened anger and distrust that has risen from the law enforcement shootings of two (2) African American males, 18 year old Michael Brown of Ferguson, MO and twenty-five year old Kajieme Powell  in St. Louis, MO, speaks to the familiar refrain when it comes to how African Americans are threated in the Justice system of the country they are born citizens.

AFRICAN AMERICANS every day, 24/7/365-366, lives are literally put at risk, life- put-on-the-line, when conversing, walking and/or driving in their country, America, as a citizen and taxpayer.  They are approached, stopped, arrested, incarcerated and killed by law enforcers in America.  REPEAT.

Every day an African American, from birth, especially the Black Male, his life is put on-the-line and is often taken by trigger happy law enforcement officers usurping power, operating under laws that turn a blind eye to wrongdoing and criminal behavior of law enforcement officers – misuse of power and "double standands" of enforcement between Caucasians and African Americans.  For Caucasian, there is preferential treatment, benefit of the doubt once, refusal to enter/put in the criminal system (rap sheet), calling of parents/guardian, legal representation, and benefit of doubt twice. 

Inadequate laws and lack of oversight

Inadequate laws that promote gangster policing, vigilante behavior; and, above-the-law behavior because I am a law enforcement officers can be self-policed with the right oversight in place that implement engaged training, “stiff” penalties that include incarceration and automatic removal without pay for law enforcement officer.

Failure to document law enforcement thuggish behavior, updated personnel file-RAP sheet, criminal behavior, willful disobedience, rogue and unethical behavior by those hired, trained, paid and given pension to “uphold” the law as law enforcement officers is an automatic ground for dismissal and where shown, can affect any type of payment that could be given.

Wrongful acts by law enforcers are given a pass on “wrongful and thuggish” behavior.  When law enforcers make a bragging statement to a citizen he/she is violating rights with the words of:  “Who do you think the judge is going to believe – you or me”?  And, the conventional wisdom is the same for the judge, we must provide oversight and scrutiny our laws, our law enforcers and judicial enforcers.

Law enforcers, like the citizenry, must be accountable.  NO one is exempt. 

It is NOT, not OK to gun down, execute and/or murder the citizenry just for the hell of it; or because you have a title of law enforcers.  That is not the type of law enforcement that is paid for by the citizenry of the city of Milwaukee.

Persons who live in the city should be a priority of wearing the badge of law enforcement in Milwaukee and they should look like the population in the city of Milwaukee.

Where there are exceptions, it must come through the Citizen Review Committee, a special group made up of representatives coming from Neighborhood Strategic Planning areas and elected by the citizenry - a No. 1 priority. 

Citizenry in Solidarity

We cannot hire, pay, train and give pension to those who disrespect, shoot, injure and execute the People of the City of Milwaukee.  Until the “norm” of disrespect and shooting of law enforcement is brought into acceptability, any shooting of an African American, People of Color and low income citizen, it should have pause with immediate "special review".

Hiring of Police and remaining a police in Milwaukee

Updated laws, People of Color personnel update, personnel requirements for ongoing training and NEW qualifications, specific training for the removal of the culture of combative behavior of law enforcers and the promotion of acceptable behavior must be put in place, updated and enforced for correction and REFORM.

If an individual step up for hiring and is selected to represent the people in the city of Milwaukee for the position of law enforcement, you must do just that – REPRESENT “ALL” THE PEOPLE with fairness and respect. 

Special situations that merit “deadly force” must be annually reviewed by Citizen Review Board, mayor, common council, police union and taxpayers.  Results from the review must be given to the citizenry through many ways, one being the U.S. Postal system.

Use of deadly force is an “automatic” probable cause investigation, off-duty until thorough investigation and appropriate salary, plus benefits are on-hold until investigation is completed.  If this means non-work during the time designation, it also means non-payment during this time if investigation finds officer guilty.

REVIEW and oversight of police shootings of the citizenry is just like the citizenry shooting another citizen OR law enforcement officers; on the merits of the case.  Names of citizen and police are public information and is to be publicized.

We must put the threat and removal of “LIFE” as a NO-NO on the minds of ALL.

Anyone who takes a life is “up-for-scrutiny” – no one is exempt, especially law enforcement.  The position comes with inherent risk that can be minimized with adequate and appropriate training, respect for the law, respect for the people being served, communication with the people served, respect for the badge worn, due process expectations; and EARNED TRUST.  The position is one you can resign, retire, disciplined and fired.

The blanket statement of:  police putting life-on-the-line is NO CONSOLATION to African Americans.  Since African Americans are “discriminated” and “disenfranchise” EVERY DAY OF THEIR LIVES and through historic presence their lives are put-on-the-line and at-risk of death from Caucasian law enforcement officers and regular citizens all the time.

MPA LLC All Hands on Deck, WE CAN Initiative calls for "re-defining", "re-branding" and "UN-trapping" of hidden talent and vetted businesses at the census tract and neighborhood level.

So the statement of life-on-the-line by law enforcers is nothing NEW and really fit the risk faced by African American more than law enforcement officers.  especally since African American life-on-the-line has been birth to death.  Life-time.  An officer can leave law enforcement. 

To serve as a law enforcement officer, a selected/hired individual must honor their badge. 

click photo to Enlarge

AHOD – All Hands on Deck, WE CAN.

The unwarranted Pass given to “law enforcement” can stop and or be abated with the citizenry, law enforcers, judges and legislators establishing and enforcing benchmarks for overall enforcement of democracy in our country.

No matter if it is in the desert of the Middle East with Isis members-terrorists beheading a journalist OR daylight in Ferguson, Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri or Milwaukee Arrow Park with a law enforcement officer, EXECUTION is EXECUTION – and it is wrong.

Some points Milwaukee Professionals Association LLC is looking at GUIDELINE/LAW/LEGISLATION with due diligence of War on Incarceration w/out Merits.  It takes into account the following:

ü “because I said so” law enforcement and brutality culture

ü “blue” police code

ü common council oversight

ü Community Review Board

ü cover-ups

ü deadly force

ü disclosure of names and arrest of law enforcement officers

ü failure to document behavior

ü fire and police commission

ü healing of the neighborhoods
ü historic wrong doing of law enforcement in the city of Milwaukee

ü lack of community policing

ü lack of oversight

ü overuse of force - brutality

ü payment status after a shooting

ü police administration – chief and district captains

ü police unions

ü protection of ALL citizens

ü training

updated:  August 22, 2014