Federal review of Milwaukee police remains in limbo after 18 months
An ongoing federal review of the Milwaukee Police Department’s use of force, hiring, training, policies and practices remains in limbo.
Federal officials maintain the process is ongoing, but have not given a timetable for the release of any related reports.
Police Chief Edward Flynn asked the U.S. Department of Justice to undertake the review, known as a collaborative reform initiative, in December 2015 after federal prosecutors declined to charge a now-fired officer in the on-duty fatal shooting of Dontre Hamilton.
At the time, local leaders and some activists expressed tempered optimism that the effort might help police-community relations.
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In the 18 months since, a fatal police shooting sparked two nights of violent unrest in the city’s Sherman Park neighborhood. The now-fired officer, Dominique Heaggan-Brown, was acquitted Wednesday of homicide charges in the death of Sylville Smith.
Now, some doubt any federal report will be released.
"I doubt it will come out with (Attorney General Jeff) Sessions in office,” said Fred Royal, president of the NAACP Milwaukee branch and a founder of the Community Coalition for Quality Policing.
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Earlier this year, Sessions ordered a review of all Justice Department activities including collaborative reform, which is operated by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
“The day-to-day work of COPS Office in regard to our collaborative reform sites is continuing,” Shannon Long, the office’s spokeswoman, said in an email. “We look forward to working with the DOJ leadership as they assess the full portfolio of services available to law enforcement."
The office of Mayor Tom Barrett says the change in presidential administrations has pushed back the timing. Barrett has not seen any draft reports or received any briefings because of a “firewall” to minimize the involvement of elected officials in the process, according to his spokeswoman, Jodie Tabak.
“The hope is that the report will be released sooner than later,” she said in an email.
If the process continues to “drag on,” the mayor will work with Milwaukee police and the City Attorney’s Office to determine how to legally provide the public with information related to it, Tabak said.
The Milwaukee Police Department did not respond to requests for comment.
Documents withheld
This month, the Justice Department released three documents, totaling seven pages, about the process in response to a public records request from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
More than 10,500 pages of documents were withheld.
The records that were released consisted of two pages announcing a public meeting in January 2016; the publicly available goals and objectives of the review; and memorandum between the Police Department, Justice Department and the city’s Fire and Police Commission.
Federal authorities cited laws related to protecting personal privacy of third-party individuals and protected inter-agency communications in withholding the remaining records.
Although collaborative reform remains in limbo, other efforts have pushed forward.
The Community Coalition for Quality Policing — which includes about two dozen civil rights, faith and advocacy organizations — is bringing Michael Scott, director of the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, to Milwaukee on Monday and Tuesday.
That style of policing prioritizes officers finding new strategies and solutions outside of the criminal justice system to address issues in neighborhoods. Scott is scheduled to speak at Marquette University, the Wisconsin Black Historical Society and a joint event of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee and Milwaukee Press Club.
“This is so we can all be educated on the potential benefits of instituting problem-oriented policing as deeply as possible within our police department,” Royal said.
IF YOU GO
What: Town Hall featuring Michael Scott, director of the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing. Other speakers include Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn; Michael Crivello, president of the Milwaukee Police Association; and Reggie Moore, director of Milwaukee's Office of Violence Prevention.
When: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Monday
Where: Wisconsin Black Historical Society, 2620 W. Center St.