This Just In ...
Kevin Fischer is a veteran broadcaster, the recipient of over 150 major journalism awards from the Milwaukee Press Club, the Wisconsin Associated Press, the Northwest Broadcast News Association, the Wisconsin Bar Association, and others. He has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for over three decades. A longtime aide to state Senate Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature, Kevin can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, "InterCHANGE," on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10, and heard filling in on Newstalk 1130 WISN. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their lovely baby daughter, Kyla Audrey, in Franklin.
Chief Flynn's first fumble
It didn’t take long for Milwaukee’s new police chief to drop the ball.After early rave reviews, generally the accepted practice in a new chief’s honeymoon period, Chief Ed Flynn made a not-so-very law and order statement to the liberal Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel Editorial Board. From today’s paper:
Flynn, responding to a question in a meeting with the Editorial Board on Wednesday, said he doesn't have plans to alter how the Police Department deals with the immigrant community, a significant part of which he and everyone else knows is undocumented.
(NOTE: And what is this policy? The policy prohibits officers from asking immigration questions or alerting federal authorities to suspected illegal immigrants, with some exceptions.)
Other local departments can learn from the common sense the chief had to offer on this topic. Police departments elsewhere in the country seemingly want to turn themselves into immigration officers. A bad move. Flynn noted how counterproductive this is.
"If someone shot you, is our first question, 'What's your immigration status?' or 'Can you describe your assailant?' "
He said he was satisfied with the department's current policy. Which is: "If you're a felon, we're happy to get rid of you and notify the appropriate authorities."
This is very disappointing to hear from the new chief who did appear to be off to a great start.
There is a Franklin element to this story that I blogged about last October.
This site uses Facebook comments to make it easier for you to contribute. If you see a comment you would like to flag for spam or abuse, click the "x" in the upper right of it. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use.