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A LETTER TO THE CITIZENS OF MILWAUKEE By: John A. Balcerzak, MPA President Recently the City of Milwaukee has chosen to take a path in dealing with current and future economic problems that has resulted in the furloughs of approximately 300 sworn members of the police department. They said that the furloughs were needed to avoid cuts in city services and employee layoffs. The truth of the situation is that the savings that were achieved from the furloughs alone cannot close the city budget deficit that is expected to occur in 2010 and the hard reality is that cuts in city services and employee layoffs are inevitable. The question that remains is exactly where those cuts will and layoffs occur? Will our elected officials value social programs over public safety? Will they allow this city to return to a time of fear, crime and disorder when thugs ruled our neighborhoods and homicides reached an all time high just so that art projects can be placed on lamp posts and flowers can be planted on our medians? Over the last 4 years we have experienced a sharp rise in the attacks on police officers most recently the on-duty shootings of officers’ Kunish and Norberg. If the criminal element is willing to attack armed, uniformed police officers they will not hesitate to the same or worse to our citizens. The start of this can be seen in the rise in homicides this year over the number that occurred last year and the attack on City of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Recently the City has requested that 11 million dollars be cut from the police budget. To request a budget reduction of this magnitude from a department which already has approximately 176 vacant positions and has slashed its overtime budget to the point that is restricting officers from protecting the public and fighting crime is irresponsible. This is not the time to enact major cuts to public safety. The state of our economy and the loss of jobs will not reduce crime but will only increase it. Even our state legislators recognized that this is not the right time to enact cuts to public safety. They did this by including a provision in the state budget that would reduce the amount of shared revenue that a municipality receives if the municipality spends less on public safety in 2010 than was spent in 2009 with some exceptions. If this budget reduction is allowed to happen the inevitable result will be that public safety in the City of Milwaukee will be compromised. The question is will the taxpayers of the City of Milwaukee value the gains that have been achieved in reducing crime, fear and disorder enough to get involved in the 2010 budget process or will are they willing to accept the cuts that will risk the safety and lives of their family and friends? The members of MPA are committed to this great city, they don’t just work here, they also live here. Our members risk their lives each and every day so that everyone in this city can enjoy a better way of life. The Milwaukee Police Association is willing to work with the City of Milwaukee to find ways of closing the budget deficit without harming public safety or our members. We cannot do this alone we need the citizens of the City of Milwaukee to call their elected officials and express to them that public safety is a high priority and must be maintained if this city is to survive. |
| Upcoming Events |
| Next Membership Meeting
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 9:00 AM & 7:00 PM at MPA Building 6310 West Bluemound Road Milwaukee, WI 53213 |
| Next Stewards' Meeting
Next Meeting Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 6:00 PM at MPA Building 6310 West Blumound Road Milwaukee, WI 53213 |