Last week, representatives of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) held a “listening session” as the COPS Office began a voluntary Collaborative Reform Initiative program with the Milwaukee Police Department. Milwaukee community organizations and individuals reiterated some of the issues that surfaced during the listening session and at subsequent meetings that they hope will be included in the goals for the collaborative reform initiative in a letter sent today.
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January 27, 2016
George Fachner
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
145 N Street NE
Washington, DC 20530
Via Email
Dear Mr. Fachner,
We are writing to follow up on the conversations your teams had with the ACLU, the NAACP, and other organizations during your visit to Milwaukee.
In the context of discussing the scope of your work in Milwaukee, the ACLU made you aware of a number of concerns that we hope you will consider as you develop your objectives going forward. These included the role of the Fire & Police Commission (FPC) in hiring and recruitment; the FPC's complaint procedure; lack of transparency in data collection and the comprehensiveness of the data collected; surveillance practices and use of data about civilians; lack of supervision and accountability; and the need for community feedback on your draft report.
You are also aware of concerns regarding use of force. We want to clarify that this concern encompasses the need to reduce and prevent such incidents, including through the reduction (and ultimate elimination) of stops and frisks unsupported by reasonable suspicion, as well as accountability for such actions. Regarding racially biased policing, which also was discussed, we want to ensure that you are aware of our specific concerns regarding traffic stops, pedestrian stops, pretextual stops, consent searches, and stop and frisk generally.
We also hope you stay true to the commitment you made at the NAACP offices to have conversations with community stakeholders prior to determining the scope, goals and objectives of this investigation. It is important to the credibility of your efforts that the scope of the investigation be determined with input from the community about its highest priority concerns with MPD. With respect to specific persons and entities who should be interviewed, once the scope is determined and shared with the larger community, we suggest that you send us a list of those you intend to interview. That way we and others in the community can help determine who will have information pertinent to the problems your work seeks to address.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Christopher Ahmuty, ACLU of Wisconsin
Angela Lang, African American Civic Engagement Roundtable
Pastor Steve Jerbi, All People’s Church
Shalina Ali, Milwaukee resident and mother
State Representative Mandela Barnes
Patricia McManus, Ph.D, RN, Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin
Lavelle Young, Black Student Union at UW-Milwaukee
State Representative David Bowen
State Representative Jonathan Brostoff
Reggie Moore, Center For Youth Engagement
Nate Hamilton, Coalition for Justice
Markasa Chambers, Coalition for Justice
Alderwoman Milele Coggs
D.C. Crowley, Milwaukee Area Chapter Board President
Jennifer Hofschulte, Milwaukee resident and mother
State Representative Latonya Johnson
Pastor Walter Lanier
George Martin, Martin Luther King Justice Coalition
Catoya Roberts, MICAH
Keith Bailey, Milwaukee Matters
Fred Royal, NAACP Milwaukee Branch
Astar Herndon, 9 to 5 Wisconsin
Former State Representative Barbara Notestein
Angelique Rogers, Peace Action Wisconsin
Sister Rose Steitz, OP
Charmaine Lang, Reproductive Justice Collective, Project of Wisconsin Voices
Bruce Colburn, SEIU WI State Council
Maya McCarthy-Neal, ACLU Student Alliance at UW-Milwaukee
United Council of UW Students
Sharlen Moore, Urban Underground
cc: Kenneth Bouche, Hillard Heintze
Debra Kirby, Hillard Heintze
Noble Wray, USDOJ