Apparently Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who has absolutely no law enforcement experience whatsoever, seems to think he’s suddenly an expert on how to fight crime in Milwaukee.
“The city of Milwaukee has made errors over time, reducing the number of sworn officers that are actually hired and on the streets,” Vos told Wisconsin Eye.
“There’s been a dramatic decline in the number of officers who are patrolling, to the point where we actually have some squad cars where they’re saying, ‘go out by yourself,'” Vos said. “And then they find that somebody’s committing a crime and they have to wait for backup from another single-man squad car.”
“I think those are bad decisions that have been made by the city,”
For the record, Robin Vos has no experience serving as an elected representative for a large urban area, and from what I can tell he has never actually spent any significant amount of time residing in a large urban area, so I’m wondering how exactly he thinks he’s qualified to speak as an “expert” on any issue having to do with the City of Milwaukee.
In a statement released to the media, Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn called into question Robin Vos’ qualifications to question policing strategies in the City of Milwaukee.
“While every spike in crime brings out the usual armchair chiefs issuing the usual armchair press releases, it is obvious that Representative Vos has been intentionally misinformed. I welcome the opportunity to have an adult conversation with him about Milwaukee’s crime fighting needs that moves beyond the sound bites.”
Robin Vos indirectly has represented many of us in the city of Racine, which is very much a microcosm of Milwaukee and Chicago. It has in fact overcome many of the problems those other 2 cities are dealing with today with gangland cross fighting. Vos and his fellow Assemblymen, State Senators Wanggaard, and Cathy Steep along with our local law enforcement officials, and DA’s have coordinated efforts over the past dozen years to root out much of Racine’s former gang problems. Our judges have been tougher, our prosecutors have been more by the book, and police Chief’s and Sheriff’s have taken harder lined positions, and coordinated with the FBI to accomplish these goals.
BTW Chief Flynn how about lifting the furlough of 3 days for your officers. The cost is paid at REGULAR time, vs. asking for more money for OVERTIME. How about allowing Sheriff Clarke and the County Deputy’s to retake patrols along the lakefront, so your officers can get back into the streets. How about having the DA spend time prosecuting and jailing criminals rather then spending 2-3 years on a Gov. Scott Walker witch hunt?
Based upon your article..would you suggest that Gwenn Moore, and any other Urban official NOT be allowed to chime in on any RURAL issues? Or how about any issues that effect businesses could only be voted upon by elected officials with business experience. The list goes on. The fact is Diamond Jim Doyle was never an “Indian” but he made some sweet deals with the tribes on gambling. To presume Vos doesn’t know the REAL effects of urban living, lifestyle and the crime and poverty that comes along with it, is silly.
Democrats have been in control of Detroit, Milwaukee, Chicago, Philly, etc. for decades and the problems persist. Maybe we should try some solutions from OUTSIDE the Lefty bubble.