GOP Lawmakers Blast Milwaukee Police Over Missing Interrogation Videos

The Republican chairman of the state Assembly’s public safety committee says taxpayers have a right to know why the Milwuakee Police Department’s system for storing interrogation videos isn’t working properly.

At a hearing on the MPD’s loss of at least seven videos following a January computer crash, Oconomowoc Rep. Joel Kleefisch said the computer glitch puts the public at risk.

“The revolving door of justice in Milwaukee keeps revolving and there are potential criminals — even murderers — who may still be walking the streets because this has disappeared up in smoke,” said Kleefisch.

But Milwaukee Democratic Rep. Evan Goyke argued the loss of the recordings won’t result in criminals avoiding prosecution. He called the hearing political grandstanding aimed at embarrassing Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn and Democratic Mayor Tom Barrett.

“It’s not a serious fact-finding mission. This is ‘gotcha’ politics,” Goyke said.

Barrett and Flynn were invited to testify at the hearing, but neither of them attended.

The head of the Milwaukee police union Mike Crivello did testify at the hearing. He said the videos could jeopardize some cases because, ever since the Department started recording all their interviews two years ago, officers don’t take as many notes during an interrogation as they used to. Instead they listen back to the recording and write up a summary.

Without the video, only the summary and, in some cases, a signed confession can be used in court, Crivello explained. He also said that the missing videos have contributed to the low morale among police officers.

City officials said they are working with the company that stores the videos to retrieve them. But Racine Republican Sen. Van Wanggaard said their disappearance suggests a lack of local leadership on a crucial public safety issue. He said once it’s clear how and why the video storage system failed, he’ll consider drafting legislation requiring police departments to keep back-up tapes of all their recorded interrogations.