Three Law Enforcement Jurisdictions To Patrol Milwaukee's Southside

At least three law enforcement jurisdictions will join efforts to contain rising crime in the Southside of Milwaukee.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

August 6, 2015

Milwaukee, WI - On Wednesday, 2nd District Police Station Captain Alfonso Morales confirmed during a crime analysis community meeting that the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office (MCSO), West Milwaukee Police Department (WMPD) and Milwaukee police (MPD) in District Two will join efforts to patrol the Southside. Residents in the Southside will see patrol squads from the MCSO and WMPD in the area within days. 

Captain Morales explained that MCSO has two services that will be helpful to MPD, one is a K-9 dog and the ability for MCSO to tow vehicles without going through the municipal court and can use the Milwaukee County Court system instead for criminal processing. 

Community members complained that police response was slow and would take hours for officers to show up at a 911 call. Morales admitted that crime throughout the City had climbed meaning slower response to low priority calls. 

Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn implemented a low priority policy, which allows officers to response to felony crimes first than to loud noise complaints, after hours parties, reckless driving, break-ins, trespassing, vandalism, prostitution, loitering, graffiti and other nuisance calls.

Captain Morales told community members at the meeting that police officer moral is higher at the 2nd Police District Station than any other districts because of community support for the Southside police officers. Today, about 200 to 300 police officer positions have not been filled and the department is short on manpower due to budget constraints.

On Tuesday, several incidents happened that the community was concern about, in one incident, a shooting occurred in the 1400 block of W. Greenfield Ave. and escalated to two other spots in the area by three shooters. Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) was able to get a video recording from a driver who recorded the incident and posted it on Facebook in which more than 20 shots were fired within 29 seconds or so, and people and teenagers are seen fleeing the scene. Morales said, that the incident began after a woman was tased by another woman at N. 13th Street and W. Burleigh and that group of people ended up in the 1400 block of W. Greenfield Ave. and an altercation ignited around 6:00 p.m. with gunfire. At least six people were taken into custody.

The other incident happen earlier at the 1400 block of W. Greenfield Ave. on Tuesday around 11:30 a.m. when police were searching for a robbery suspect and then saw him fleeing from a building. When police investigated, they found drugs and military grade bullet proof vests and a weapon. The apartment was unfit to live in, but 17 people were taken into custody. 11 of those arrested by police were prostitutes and 6 were males. Only three of the suspects actually lived in the Southside and the rest out of the 12th Aldermanic District.

The robbery suspect that fled from S. 14th Street also operates a drug house at the 1900 block of S. 15th Street.
Several weeks ago, a man was fatally shot after a robbery turned bad at the 1100 block of W. Greenfield Ave. A bicycle police officer arrived at the scene and managed to arrest a suspect.

Also, Captain Morales said that the area between W. Burnham St. to W. Becher St. from S. 5th Place to S. 6th Street is known as "Crack Alley." Morales is working hard to clean up that section.

A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) statistic report indicated that the "LGN" route or W. Lincoln Ave., W. Greenfield Ave. and W. National Ave. strips are known nationally as a human trafficking area, according to Captain Morales. 

The 2nd Police District Station serves about 67% of the Spanish speaking community and many use a third party such as non-profit organizations like Voces de la Frontera, UMOS and Aldermanic 12th and 8th Districts Office's to report crimes instead of calling 911 or letting the 2nd Police District Station known of crimes. Morales encouraged about 165 people who attended the meeting to call 911 or the station to report criminal activity for quicker response.

Captain Morales reported that last month, about 42% of reported assaults were domestic violence incidents where the victim and the suspect knew each other. Aldermen Bob Donovan (8th District), José Pérez (12th District) and SOC hosted the meeting on Wednesday.

Alderman Donovan reported that stolen autos have increased in the Southside. (Data provided through July 27, 2015)

The statistics (% increase is over 2014):

District 8: 460 stolen autos, 98% increase!
District 11: 113 stolen autos, 82% increase!
District 12: 348 stolen autos, 33% increase!
District 13: 149 stolen autos, 38% increase!
District 14: 188 stolen autos, 185% increase!

In Milwaukee from January 2 to August 1, 2015, police have reported 79 Afro-Americans, 7 Hispanics, 8 Whites and 2 Asians have been murdered and of those victims 11 were females. 

Video: Milwaukee's Southside Triple Shooting at the 1400 block of W. Greenfield Ave., August 4, 2015 https://youtu.be/6N4OiiSkIFI