Milwaukee’s mayor and the chair of the city’s Public Safety Committee both say they expect a Milwaukee Police Department investigation into allegations that Asst. Police Chief Steve Johnson ordered foot patrols in an area that includes his own home.
“The Mayor anticipates the police department will look into the circumstances described in this report. His expectation is that public safety resources be deployed appropriately,” Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson’s spokesman told WRN.
Milwaukee Alderman Scott Spiker, who is the chairman of the City’s Public Safety and Health Committee told WRN, “This is a very serious accusation and should be investigated fully.”
Their comments came after Wisconsin Right Now’s exclusive investigative piece reporting Sunday that Johnson has ordered two-man foot patrols that include his home neighborhood since August, despite the fact that his District 3 neighborhood is a low crime area as compared to other parts of the district.
This comes as police response times have increased in recent years, even for priority 1 calls, and foot patrols have become a thing of the past for much of the city.
A source told WRN, Johnson “has used a two-man squad as personal security near his residence since mid-August. It was initially 24/7 but has been cut back to 4 p.m.-12 a.m.,” another law enforcement source alleged.
Wisconsin Rep. and former Milwaukee Alderman, Bob Donovan told WRN, “The Milwaukee Police Department is dangerously understaffed and needs every available officer patrolling our neighborhoods as they continue to be terrorized by violence, stolen vehicles and reckless drivers.
We cannot allow our law enforcement to play babysitter while the city is in chaos. I will continue to defend our police, but every available resource must be focused on taking back our streets. The citizens of Milwaukee deserve better, and at the very least, they deserve an explanation by the assistant chief.”
On Saturday, WRN went to the location where Johnson lives and upon our arrival, we indeed observed a marked Milwaukee police squad parked on West Galena close to the assistant chief’s house as photographed below.
Serious crimes were occurring in other areas of District 3 at the same time, police calls for service show, including a robbery, battery, a threat, and the sound of gunshots being detected by the department’s Shotspotter system. In other words, especially at a time of extremely short staffing, the two officers could have been used elsewhere in the district. In fact, one source told WRN a squad was not sent to a shooting call because it was assigned to the area including Johnson’s home instead. Sources say the assistant chief ordered the patrols in August after fights broke out in the area, and it’s outraged numerous officers throughout the department, who believe it’s a waste of resources.
Read our full investigative report, including the MPD’s response, here.
