Posted on 05/07/2003 5:51:01 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback
Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. announced Tuesday he has established a gun crime task force that will rely on so-called consent searches of cars in the city, a practice that has been restricted among Milwaukee police.
Police Chief Arthur Jones was conspicuously absent from Clarke's news conference, attended by Mayor John O. Norquist, County Executive Scott Walker, U.S. Attorney Steven M. Biskupic and others. Clarke said Jones was "not invited, for no particular reason."
The chief said later that he didn't respond to Clarke's earlier effort to involve him because "it wasn't necessary," and that he hoped deputies' searches don't violate the rights of innocent citizens.
Consent searches, in which police get drivers' permission to search vehicles stopped for minor infractions, can turn up evidence of more serious crimes. Proponents say the tactic helps police find drugs and guns.
But critics say the practice invites abuse. In 1999, as concerns about racial profiling heated up nationwide, Jones changed Police Department policy to require that officers be able to demonstrate a "reasonable and articulable suspicion of evidence of contraband contained within the vehicle" if they seek consent to search.
Both Clarke and Jones have been mentioned as possible candidates for the 2004 mayor's race, but Clarke said Tuesday's announcement had nothing to do with politics. He said he has been planning the gun initiative for six months because he wanted to give deputies "every resource at our disposal" to combat gun violence.
"Our officers aren't going to need 17 stamps of approval to get things done," he said. "They're going to be able to make decisions themselves."
Clarke calls the new task force the Gun Reduction Interdiction Program, or GRIP. Sixteen deputies, who have taken an extra 40 hours of constitutional rights training, with work in pairs from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. and wear special black uniforms, rather than the standard brown.
Clarke said new scanners will allow GRIP deputies to monitor Police Department radio frequencies to better determine where illegal gun activity is taking place. Deputies and police officers cannot communicate with their standard radios - and still won't be able to.
"It's very silly, but we can overcome these things," Clarke said of the communication barrier.
Jones' absence 'telling' Robert "Woody" Welch, the chairman of the Fire and Police Commission, called Jones' absence from the task force "telling."
"One of the primary duties of a chief of police is to work cooperatively with other forms of government," Welch said.
In a March 18 letter to Jones, Clarke invited the Police Department to join the gun program, which he launched April 1.
"Our agencies working together in a cooperative effort by sharing intelligence and manpower would be a very positive step toward the prevention, control and reduction of crime in the city of Milwaukee," Clarke wrote. He said Jones has yet to respond to the letter.
"I don't want to read into the fact that I haven't heard from him," Clarke said. "But what do I have to do?"
Jones said he spoke with Clarke last week about an unrelated matter. "He never mentioned this to me," Jones said.
He expressed concerns about aspects of GRIP.
"Allowing officers to stop and search people, I don't think that that's in the best interest of the citizens of the city of Milwaukee," Jones said.
At the news conference, Norquist said the sheriff's initiative will help deter violent criminals.
"The main reason criminals commit crime is they think they can get away with it," Norquist said.
Some aldermen later expressed general support, though at least one shared Jones' concerns.
Ald. Tom Nardelli, chairman of the council's Public Safety Committee, said everyone can support reducing the number of illegal guns on city streets.
"It really doesn't make a difference who's doing it," he said. "If the sheriff has the kind of resources in his department, and the backing of Scott Walker and the County Board to do it, that's great."
Ald. Willie Hines agreed, with one caveat: "I would hope, however, that innocent individuals aren't harassed and their rights aren't violated in the process."
In December, the Fire and Police Commission directed Jones to develop a plan to fight violent crime. In response, Jones placed up to 300 officers per day on overtime, later reducing that to a maximum of 186 officers. Last week, he cut the extra patrols back to between 4 p.m. and 4 a.m.
Under the sheriff's initiative, deputies are exclusively assigned to gun crime.
"This will be their sole focus," he said. "I can't have them tied up for two or three hours investigating a traffic accident."
Clarke said Milwaukeeans are "not safe in our own homes. We're hostages behind security systems and locked doors.
But police department statistics show violent crime in the city is down 17% compared with last year, with shootings down 26%, the number of people shot down 19% and the number of gun-related incidents down 21%. As of Tuesday afternoon, there have been 33 homicides in Milwaukee, vs. 34 at this point in 2002.
"David Clarke's assertions are not true," Jones said. "The Milwaukee Police Department is effective in reducing crime in city of Milwaukee," Jones said. "The numbers speak for themselves."
Greg J. Borowski of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.
It includes such objects as could reasonably be used as weapons in the context of a well-functioning militia.
Stay Safe !
I think it more the order to bring in the other dog. When the real dog didn't alert they brought out Bobby's dog - he barks if a flea bites him.
< /sarcasm >
In all seriousness, arms included swords, pikes, knives, battle axes and hatchets, as well as firearms at the time the 2nd was written. I do not know if they meant to include crew served weapons (cannon), but the folks who could afford such were not likely to be other than responsible members of society, at least on land. Blasting powder (the premier explosive of the day)was not regulated, as it was only a different grind of the powder used in the firearms).
At sea, some unsavory types seized entire vessels with cannon, but that is another story, and they flew a different flag (skull and bones.)
While arms are certainly more sophisticated today, the basic thought prevails. A wise, honorable, and noble person will use arms in a wise fashion, even without laws. Criminals will not pay attention to any law.
If there were no criminals, no predators, the rest would not need arms to defend themselves, but that genie will not be put back in the bottle in the world as we know it.
Would I knowingly live next door to someone who had a mini-nuke? If they bought the optional shielding package, but remember, that here in North Dakota, "next door" is often a mile or two away...
Acting like it hit on a seek command as I stated is even easier :o)
Stay Safe !
What legitimate reason is there for a cop to ask permission to search a vehicle? If probable cause exists, no consent is needed. If probable cause does not exist, what is the basis for asking?
In any traffic stop, the clear implication is that the motorist is at the mercy of the police officer who is in a position to write a ticket or not based upon whether he 'likes' the motorist. This is clearly a coercive position on the part of the police officer, and officers who ask concent for searches are taking advantage of it. What legitimate reason is there to allow them to do so?
BRAWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH ! WHY ? If they really took the class they'd know they can't take our guns in any manner or form under constitutional RKBA's as written.
What a bunch of BS......talk about a loose GRIP on reality.....these weenies are the prolem not the cure !
Stay Safe !
One of these days, the cops are gonna' search the wrong guy, find nothing and let him go.
Now that he knows where the checkpoint is, he comes back...this time well armed....
I'll hang out for a bit until you find it.
Hey, I'll give you a hint. I bet it's in the same desk drawer that you guys left the Warrant you supposedly had in Waco, just to the left of the one you put Randy Weavers Court Date in.
The only thing wrong with kicking your ass is that it's too easy.
(Insert Musical Interlude Here) Your Time Is Gonna Come.
Regards,
L
Our local sheriff issues a sticker that indicates support (not sure if you get them by making contributions or just by being related) which are used on family cars that could come in handy.
If someone 'consents' to a search and the cop finds something, that suggests:
So tell me, how many crooks are caught because of case #1 who wouldn't be easily caught in short order by other means?
4. the person had no knowledge of the item, because the person is driving a used car.
So I say buy cars new and get a CCW permit. Oh, Wisconsin has no CCW law. And if you can't make sense of this understand that I have mixed feelings about this particular story.
Not in my case.
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