This popped up in my emailbox today and concerns public safety issues in the City of Milwaukee around the protests against police brutality:
The events of the last couple weeks, and months, have been challenging. I recognize the protests that have been occuring are in response to a pandemic. Not the COVID-19 pandemic, but the longstanding pandemic of systemic racism and oppression that has hurt Milwaukee unlike any other place in our nation. As marches have continued across Milwaukee I have been inspired by your activism and dedication to help combat these systemic issues, and I welcome continued peaceful protests to Bay View.
I want you to know I share your concerns and we are taking action. As chair of the Public Safety and Health Committee I called a special meeting last week to convene the Mayor’s Office, Milwaukee Police Department and Fire and Police Commission to discuss the issuing of curfews, their enforcement and enforcement of “civil unrest” during protests. While my colleagues and I didn’t always receive the answers we were hoping for, the conversation was productive. If you couldn’t tune in live, I would encourage you to view the meeting replay on the City Channel website.
After reading many of the hundreds of public comments submitted before our committee meeting I will also be pushing for the following action items:
Officer Mattioli must be immediately terminated and the Fire and Police Commission should review and update the use of force standard operating procedure.
The Fire and Police Commission should perform an audit every six months of officer personnel files to review misconduct.
The Fire and Police Commission must work to increase officer training hours to include diversity and inclusion and implicit bias training.
The Fire and Police Commission should require ethics training with a focus on ensuring that each sworn member uniformed or not, is trained on their duty to intervene when they see police misconduct, and ensuring that officers who do not comply face formal discipline.
We must use our city’s federal CARES money to support the community by investing more in public health and housing for all.
This is the beginning of a long road ahead as we work to rebuild Milwaukee stronger than it was pre-pandemic, but I love our city and we will get through this together.
Sincerely,
Marina Dimitrijevic
Alderwoman | 14th District
This is a start…I’d like to see a ban on rubber bullets too.
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