The city's Common Council approved an ordinance last week that would allow officers to earn overtime by providing security at local taverns. Police officers can volunteer for the assignment.,”On-duty Milwaukee police officers could be coming to a bar near you.
The city's Common Council approved an ordinance last week that would allow officers to earn overtime by providing security at local taverns. Police officers can volunteer for the assignment.
If approved by the mayor, the use of on-duty officers in bars would be under the control of new Police Chief Edward Flynn, who would determine how many officers are stationed in a given bar. Overtime agreements would be made between the Milwaukee Police Department and individual bars, according to the ordinance.
The arrangement would be similar to on-duty officers who provide security at the Bradley Center and Miller Park.
Aldermen approved the measure 10-4, which is veto-proof should Mayor Tom Barrett choose to reject it. Barrett is currently reviewing the ordinance and his decision on it will come shortly, said Michelle Johnson, spokeswoman for the mayor's office.
Supporters argue putting on-duty officers in bars is a preventative measure to stop incidents of violence from happening. Early Monday, one man died and another was injured after they exchanged gunfire with security guards at Club Escape, 6263 N. Teutonia Ave.
Alderman Willie Wade, 7th District in the north central city, said police cars stationed outside the club would have been a deterrent to the shooting.
Wade said stationing officers at bars would cut down on police response time because bar owners wouldn't have to call police after an incident happen—they would already be there.
"In between them calling the police and the police getting there, that's when it escalates into that violence that we keep ending up having citizens dead," Wade said.
Wade said taxpayers should not be paying for an "extra layer of service" for problem liquor establishments.
Milwaukee Police Association President John Balcerzak said Wade's plan could lead to liabilities and might present conflicts of interest for officers. For instance, he said an officer hired at a bar could be blamed for missing incidences of drinking and driving or underage drinking. And officers would be required to take action against bars with such violations-—the same bars they are hired by to provide security, Balcerzak said. Wade said anything that could personally affect an officer would happen regardless of whether the cop is stationed at the bar or is responding to an incident after the fact.
"If you are a cop and you are sworn to serve and protect, as an individual, that's what you are sworn to do," Wade said.
Alderman Ashanti Hamilton, 1st District on the northeast side, voted for Wade's ordinance and said he wants Club Escape's owner to surrender his liquor license.
Balcerzak said problems with taverns should be taken care of by rejecting their liquor licenses instead of putting sworn officers in the establishments.
Bar owners can choose to have officers in their bars under the ordinance. At Jim Hegarty's Pub, 1120 W. Wells St., manager Chris Brown said there would not be a need for officers at his bar. Hegarty's rarely has fights and unruly patrons are asked to leave, he said.
Mike Vitucci, owner of Caffrey's Pub, 717 N. 16th St., and Murphy's Irish Pub, 1615 W. Wells St., said his bars are able to handle any issues that might arise. He said neighborhood patrols would be helpful in areas with multiple bars and restaurants.
The police union has also floated the idea that the business community chip in for officers to patrol a specific area. Business associations could pay to have officers patrol an entire area instead of providing security at only one bar, Balcerzak said.
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