UPDATE from Madison Police Chief Mike Koval:
When the news cycle seems to be dominated by discussions of the appropriateness of “taking a knee,” (As a constitutional officer of the court, I pledged to protect and defend constitutional rights and freedoms so the recent diatribes from all directions on this issue is moot; although I also have the prerogative of expressing my views–off duty–and have canceled my all-access subscription to viewing NFL games), tonight will provide many of my sisters and brothers in uniform an opportunity to “stand up” for something. For tonight, there will be a short vigil taking place up at the Law Enforcement Memorial (located at the corner of N. Pinckney and E. Mifflin). Starting at 5pm, a ceremony will be held that marks the restoration of the Memorial which was desecrated with paint a number of weeks ago.
The Law Enforcement Memorial bears the name of those selfless servant leaders who paid the ultimate sacrifice. In a time when we are bombarded with a celebrity culture that accords and rewards surreal figures who are self-absorbed with advancing the interests of “me, myself, and I,” it is only fitting that we re-boot and take a moment to draw upon those who were willing to don a bullet-proof vest and stand in harms way in defense of a complete stranger.
I am indebted to the grass roots activism that seized upon this vigil as an opportunity to affirm values that many of us have spent our entire professional lives trying to live. In an era where there is a paucity of “role models” for our kids to look up to, one need only look as far as those who are still laboring on the front lines of the military and protective services (Police/Fire/EMT’s) as a surety that some things have withstood and will endure the test of time for character and commitment!
At the recently vandalized Law Enforcement Officers Memorial (now cleaned up)
Education
Blaska Policy Werkes 
This is a positive event to show support, show we care, show we appreciate and to honor and pay respects to those who lost their lives while serving their communities.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Save me a seat next to Mayor Soglin.
LikeLike
Now Mayor Soglin is a political figure worth comparing oneself to. Not a mayor to return emails from constituents, no not him he’s far too full of himself to care about what we the people have to say, not a mayor to be concerned about problems with this city, or attend a neighborhood watch meeting let alone embrace such positive community building, and certainly not a mayor to attend public events honoring citizen and public service heroes like the events that happen every May. No, this mayor fights against building new police stations, hiring more police officers, and even taking on solving the emergency detention problem that takes so many cops off our streets nearly every day.This mayor isn’t for making our streets safer, he’s all about himself,worships Castro, takes down monuments, fights with others who disagree with his impulsive decisions. This mayor is a coward, a rebel, and a puppet. What he is not is a leader.What he is not, is a role model. What he is not, is a mayor. The people of Madison deserve so much better. Gary, you stoked my flames of passion for this poor example of a leader! No need to save any seats, he won’t be there. It’s not in his character or history or ability.He only cares about himself, no one else.
LikeLike
Update: Mayor Soglin was a no show. It was predicted just like thousands of fortune tellers prognosticated. Just like return emails from him, the man is a ghost that is only visible on TV with decoder ring screens or Rorschach inkblot tests on bathroom toilet paper. Your odds of seeing Bigfoot or being struck by lightning on a sunny day would be much higher. Why this mayor can’t even bring himself to attend the annual award ceremony MPD holds that honors civilian and law enforcement heroes. What does he know about heroes anyway? This mayor worships communist leaders like Fidel Castro, who wanted to park nuclear bombs at our doorstep that almost caused WWIII.This mayor hardly worked a day in his life. Retirement might be hard for him. I’ll give him credit for one thing though, he is a dreamer.Hence why he doesn’t do much else. Zzzzzz
LikeLike