For mayor, ignorance is bliss on MPD video snafu

In one of the most serious screw-ups in recent Milwaukee police history, our mayor claims he simply wasn’t aware there was any problem.

Of course I’m referring to the loss of hundreds or even thousands of videotaped police interviews and confessions in an almost unbelievable malfunction that has left police without access to very important evidence since JANUARY.

And our mayor claims no one told him about it. Do you believe him?

Police Chief Edward Flynn also claims he did not tell the mayor about this very serious, damaging situation. Do you believe him?

So Chief Flynn, I ask, why wouldn’t you tell the mayor about it? Isn’t that pretty much a key part of your job?

And what about the Common Council, shouldn’t we ALL have been informed about the loss of the video data? And, if only certain members were, in fact, told about it, isn’t that poor communication at best, and malfeasance, at worst?

Better yet, are you telling me that certain Council members were informed about the problem, and NOT the mayor?!

In my view, if the chief and the department were deliberately keeping this crisis from the Council (and thus the citizens), I believe it is time for the chief to go.

This is all too convenient, Mr. Mayor. I call it “plausible deniability.” It is my opinion, but I also call it “untruthfulness.”

You better believe I’m going to continue to search for the actual truth in this matter – even if it leads me to the door of the Mayor’s Office.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.