Move adjournment Mr. Chairman!

Stop the foolishness right here and now!

God help me, I’m going to another government meeting today. Starts at 5:30 p.m. in Room 354 of the City-County Building downtown.

It is the Madison ad hoc committee on police policy and procedure. The one that sponsored the $372,000 colonoscopy searching for faint signals of racism among the men and women of blue wearing a police badge. The one that has been trying to tie tin cans on every police squad car in the Emerald City. To handcuff police with ever-more restrictive policies and procedures because, y’know, Police Are the Problem! (The agenda, here.) 

The coven of Leftists solicited cop bashing from other Leftists, including Freedom Inc. and Young Black & Misguided, the the Gelembiuk/Royko Maurer Community Response Team. 

The indefatigable Paula Fitzsimmons (her website) pointed out that the committee was “very selective in whom it reaches out to for recommendations and feedback. From where I sit, it looks like you’ve already made up your mind and are simply looking for people to confirm your convictions.”

Blaska will be short and sweet. You got kids hijacking automobiles right from under parents picking up their toddlers from daycare. Terrorizing taxi drivers and sticking up fast food joints. One cab service suspended service; a convenience mart on E. Washington Ave. is curtailing its hours. Students and teachers are dodging bullets at La Follette high school.

And official Madison is STILL worried about the police?

Blaska will encourage the committee to adjourn sine die. 

Paula Fitzsimmons led a letter writing campaign from average Joe and Jane citizens. The Policy Werkes excerpts from them here:

I no longer feel safe

Despite what a small, disruptive mob of harrassers would try to get you to believe, our Madison police are not out to kill anyone. Every day these public servants put their own lives in harm’s way for us. Who of us would be willing to spend a day in their shoes, confronting an increasing number of repeat offenders and unpredictable substance abusers, and being on the front lines of the opioid epidemic? They deal with trauma and violence every day, at a level that has become unacceptable for a city this size (not that any level is acceptable). 

They endure unreasonable attacks and unfounded allegations, even from some city leaders. The fact that there are small groups of very young people harassing constituents at public meetings and attacking citizens with impunity means we have a serious problem — and it it not the Madison Police!

I no longer feel safe in my city, even in the daytime. I do not ride certain busses and no longer use transfer points to avoid becoming a target. I am constantly on guard, even at home. — Gail Tappen

‘Our many elderly neighbors, are really terrified’

I am writing to express my strong support for the Madison Police Department and all that they do to make our city a safer place. We live on the far West side and our house was broken into five years ago. The police were immediately concerned and put effort into finding those responsible. More recently, our neighborhood has had a drastic increase in car stealing, people harassing local business owners, and teenagers roaming our neighborhood and checking house and car doors for illegal entry. We, among our many elderly neighbors, are really terrified by what is occurring.  — resident of Cedar Creek Trail

MPD one of the best in the country

I was a state criminal investigator and manager-of-same for over thirty years. As such I worked with police departments in almost every city in the state and many across the country. I also attended with, and presented training to, officers around the US.

With that perspective, I can say that the best-trained, most ethical and most compassionate officers I worked with in three decades came from the Madison Police Department. They stand far above the norm and serve as an example for other departments to emulate. It puzzles me that they are so harshly criticized by the people they serve. I know that as the stresses on the MPD grow, the number of good applicants they have has shrunk.

The irony of the current situation is that the thousands of applicants for each police opening on the MPD has now dropped to dozens, and with a smaller pool will come a narrower group of minds and, in the end, worse outcomes on the street. It’s simple math.

I’m not a police apologist. In fact one of my roles as a criminal investigator was to investigate allegations of police corruption and brutality. I know it exists; I’ve seen it and helped prosecute it. —  Jim Jenkins

Stealing cars because we are ‘diverting’ them

I see a lot of violent crime caused by a small group of people. Teenagers stealing cars because we are ‘diverting’ them into programs to help not hurt them without apparent consequences. Gangs who actively deal drugs etc 24/7 and are very well organized. A DA who tries to keep up, create alternative programs and seems to be fighting a losing battle. — a resident on Varsity Hill

Ride with an officer to see the real world

Our city is facing an increasing crisis; it is obvious to everyone that it is at a breaking point. It is your responsibility to the citizens of this community to fund the Police Department in whatever the needs may be and for you to attend a session and ride with a police officer to see what the real world looks like. — resident on Wanebo Lane

Blaska’s Bottom Line: E-mail your alder and tell them to stop the foolishness!

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THIS JUST IN: AT 10:30 Wednesday night (12-19-18) a candlelight vigil was taking place at Wheeler/School Rd, which was the scene of a fatal car crash.  An unknown individual apparently fired off a half-dozen shots from a handgun, causing the crowd to disperse.  By the time MPD arrived there were no bystanders left and six casings were recovered.

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