Statement from Milwaukee Police Association

The Milwaukee Police Association and the members of the Milwaukee Police Department appreciate the outpouring of support from the community for our brave Milwaukee Police Officers who were shot in the past few weeks. But we need more from our community.

There must be real bail reform in Wisconsin, and it simply cannot wait any longer. Our officers’ lives depend on it. Your lives and the lives of your loved ones depend on it.

Elected officials continue issuing the same statements saying, “the community has to get involved,” in the wake of the ongoing and recent violence against our law enforcement. We agree. We need our community to ask — to demand — that our lawmakers propose legislation, with bipartisan agreement, that can actually pass the Legislature and start protecting our communities.

The State spends millions to screen and supervise pretrial detainees but it is not keeping dangerous offenders off our streets. We cannot continue to rely on questionnaires and forms, provided to the court, to measure the likelihood of a defendant appearing for trial if released on his or her own recognizance without taking into account the danger to the community posed by the offender or the seriousness of the offense.

What also is required is an honest and concerted effort to pursue those offenders wanted on bench warrants, as was the case with the suspect in last night’s shooting. But we don‘t want it to get that far. By the time those dangerous criminals are on the street, it is too late.

It truly is a matter of life and death.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.