US DOJ Continues Fight On Urban Crime, Milwaukee Police Chief Says - WPR
Chuck Quirmbach
November 29, 2017
Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn says the Trump Administration seems committed to reducing violent crime in urban areas.
United States Department of Justice officials have been working with the City of Milwaukee for the last 18 months to reduce violent crime in the city’s Center Street corridor on the north side.
Flynn met with U.S. Justice Department officials Wednesday about the violent crime reduction plan.
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During a news conference, Flynn said that cooperation between the DOJ and the City of Milwaukee — and other urban communities — has continued despite the change in administration.
“I think what’s interesting, despite a lot of negative press coverage, is that we in the major cities, in some very thoughtful meetings with (Attorney) General Sessions, made it clear that our success in using federal assets to suppress violence in disadvantaged neighborhoods would not succeed if it were discerned or believed that the Justice Department was backing off holding police accountable for misconduct, or backing off reform efforts,” Flynn said.
While the cooperation remains, Sessions halted a federal review of the Milwaukee Police Department before it was completed. The review began during the Obama Administration.
A draft report of the DOJ’s review of the Milwaukee Police Department was obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in August.
Milwaukee town hall meetings on the report begin Thursday night.
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