Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales Says Homicides Decreased Including Crime, But Has Yet To Discipline And Hold 2nd District Officers Accountable For Turning Over Undocumented Man To ICE Without Due Process Or Judicial Warrant

Homicides and crime has decreased, since 2017, according to Milwaukee Police Chief Morales.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

January 12, 2020

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Friday, Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales confirmed that homicides and crimes had decreased, since 2017. According to a Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) press release in which Morales indicated that homicides decreased in the City of Milwaukee for two consecutive years. In 2017, there were 119 homicides. In 2018, homicides decreased to 99 and decreased even further in 2019 to 97. Also, Milwaukee has seen a drastic decrease in other violent crimes including, but not limited to non-fatal shootings and car-jackings. In 2018 non-fatal shootings decreased to 476 from 558 in 2017. Non-fatal shootings continued to decrease in 2019 to 452. In 2017, there were 410 car-jackings; however, in 2018 car-jackings decreased to 383 and in 2019 decreased even further to 346, according to Chief Morales.

Chief Morales credits the decrease in violent crime to the dedicated men and women of the Milwaukee Police Department, neighboring law enforcement partners, members of the public and the community at large.

Since 2018, the Milwaukee Police Department has taken a strategic approach to target offenders who victimize members of our community through use of the Shoot Review Model. The Shoot Review Model is an intelligence-led, data-driven, violence reducing strategy that collaborates law enforcement, researchers and community partners. The Milwaukee Police Department will continue to work to make the City of Milwaukee a safe place to live, work and raise a family, according to the MPD press release.

Chief Morales who was reappointed to a full four year term in December 2019 came under fire by members of the Latino community, allies and Voces de la Frontera (VDLF), a non-profit immigrant rights organization for allowing Milwaukee police officers to assist rogue U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during an immigration enforcement raid to detain and arrest an undocumented suspect without a legal judicial warrant signed by a federal or state judge on September 23, 2019 in the Southside of Milwaukee. The arrest of Jose Alejandro de la Cruz-Espinosa, 38, was video recorded by several members from VDLF, which showed that ICE agents nor Milwaukee police officers at the scene had a legal warrant to detain him. Police officers assisting ICE, contacted De la Cruz-Espinosa's Wisconsin Department of Corrections Probation Officer Minerva Santiago-Gomez to revoke De la Cruz-Espinosa's probation on a frivolous state traffic violation, and police failed to process him for the violation and illegally turned De la Cruz-Espinosa to rogue ICE agents at the scene.

It has been five months, since the De la Cruz-Espinosa's incident and Chief Morales has yet to apply any discipline or hold those police officers involved from the 2nd Police District Station accountable for their illegal acts and not processing De la Cruz-Espinosa for the traffic violation he was taken into custody by police.

The De la Cruz family has indicted to Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) that they are seeking federal legal action against MPD, Chief Morales and the City of Milwaukee for violating De la Cruz-Espinosa's due process rights and etc.

The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission in December approved the Milwaukee Police Department Standard Operation Procedure 130 prohibiting police officers assisting ICE agents during immigration enforcement in the City unless ICE agents have a legal warrant signed by a federal or state judge to arrest an undocumented individual within city limits.