We have exciting things planned in the coming months to show support for Madison PD. If you read this blog, you'll be one of the first in the know . . . I've been putting a lot of thought into Madison's crime problems, and will readily admit that I don't have all the answers. Nobody does, really. I do believe that the reasons a city experiences increase in violent crimes are multi-factorial. So it's upsetting to me when I hear people blame Chief Koval and Madison PD (the only group, in my opinion, who has our backs) for our crime problems. I wish critics would become informed and think things through before making blanket statements like that. Our cops are working as diligently and as hard as they possibly can. And they're doing a heck of a job, especially given their staffing issues, challenges of dealing with big-city issues, lack of support from local government, and the fallout from national & local anti-cop sentiment. If we're going to place blame on increases in crime, here's where I'd put it: - The people perpetrating the crimes. Factors like poor family structure (a huge topic in its own right) are indeed contributing factors, but ultimately we're each responsible for our own choices. FYI: Madison has an abundance of resources for at-risk residents, including those offered by MPD, as well as tons of job opportunities. Help is there for people who want to change their outcomes. The groups who treat able-bodied people like "victims" and place blame on everyone but the criminal aren't much help, either. This is not a dissertation, so I'll leave it at that. - Mayor Soglin and common council. We have the best force in the nation, but they need to have (and feel) the support of local government in order to perform to its fullest ability. I've outlined what we believe needs to happen in our new petition - which I hope you'll sign and share. Highlights are below. https://www.change.org/p/mayor-soglin-fight-crime-in-madison-by-supporting-its-police-department 1. Hold a press conference where you stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Chief Koval and Madison PD command staff, face the cameras, and make it clear to criminals that they are not welcome here, and that perpetrators of crimes will be held fully accountable. 2. Stop putting roadblocks up for law enforcement. When you do the following, you are harming the morale of the police department and discouraging quality applicants from wanting to become cops. These are a few examples: - Using taxpayer-funded emergency money to contract out a $400,000 study of the police. - Setting up additional ad-hoc groups to study "police / community relations." - Accusing the chief of police of "campaigning for more department funds" or using tragedies to hire more police. - Sending a joint apology letter (with Dane County government) during the 2015 tragedy to the deceased's family while ignoring Madison PD. (It was clear that you were taking sides.) - Just "narrowly" approving Chief Koval's legal fees. He had every right to hire the best legal defense to defend himself against frivolous charges. - Using common council meetings to publicly humiliate police command staff. - Voting against a measure that would allow Madison PD to apply for a federal grant to increase police presence / or voting for it, but throwing in dubious comments. - Interrogating citizens who vocally support Madison PD at common council meetings. 3. Actively find ways to fund the Madison Police Department. Public safety should be our number one priority and should come before funding social programs and other programs. Madison needs, at the very minimum, 37 more cops to fill the recommended 2.0 officers per 1,000 residents. This is not even the ideal. Madison is growing and needs more resources to fight the big-city crime problems we've inherited. (Edited to add on 6/29/17) 4. Prioritize the emergency detentions issue. Officers are taken off the streets because they have to escort mentally ill patients to the Winnebago Mental Health Institute in Oshkosh, a two-hour drive each way. This is in addition to the time it takes to process the patient, which can last over eight hours. About 300 hours (this is a conservative estimate) of police are taken off our streets, which makes them less safe - it takes longer for police to answer calls due to lack of resources. The current emergency detentions system is bad for the patients, the officers, and for public safety. Spend your time working on this issue, than say, renaming government buildings. Hugs, --Paula Fitzsimmons