NEWS
Is Police Reform
Possible in Milwaukee? OTHER U.S. CITIES OFFER MODELS FOR POSITIVE CHANGE BY QUINN CLARK
D
uring the past year Milwaukee protesters have taken to the streets to demand greater community oversight of police. Some of their signs specifically ask for a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC). “Police having their say and having full control over what they do is just not working at all,” says Omar Flores, co-founder of The Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (MAARPR). “So, I think it’s about time that we listen to the people. We’ve got to do something different.”
However, fire and police commissions are mandated under Wisconsin statutes and local leaders hope to introduce reforms within the current system. Common Council President Cavalier Johnson’s resolution “urging” the Fire and Police Commission “to collaborate with the Milwaukee Police Department to engage with community leaders to rebuild trust and discuss community-oriented strategies to address local civil unrest” was passed by the council. In May, the Fire and Police Commission banned the use of chokeholds.
The Milwaukee Alliance’s calls for an elected CPAC that would have the power to “hire, fire and discipline Milwaukee police, create the MPD budget and conduct independent investigations into police crimes,” according to their Facebook page. They would like to eliminate the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission, the present oversight board appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the common council.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is also looking to make changes. Last summer he announced the creation of a Commission on Police Accountability and Reform to “examine police practices and strengthen community trust among law enforcement officers.”
6 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS
But a year after the George Floyd murder, Milwaukee lags behind many metropoli-
tan areas in implementing police reforms. One hundred sixty-six cities in the U.S. have developed a civilian oversight board. While these boards have struggled with finances, the “George Floyd Policing Act of 2020” introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would have cities receive funding for commissions working towards police accountability. Several cities have already taken the initiative to reform their police departments. Here are three examples.
BALTIMORE In April, Maryland made the historic decision to repeal the “Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights” (LEBOR). One right detailed in the bill stated that misconduct investigations are handled by law enforcement officials rather than civilians. Now that LEBOR is repealed in Maryland, civilian oversight boards have significantly more power.
Photo by aijohn784/Getty Images.
