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| NEWS > 23 January 2008 |
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Police brawl at Liberia's port
MONROVIA, Liberia: Allegations that Liberia's seaport police were stealing fuel shipments sparked a brawl between national and port forces that sent dozens to hospitals Monday, authorities said.
The skirmish broke out early Monday when members of the national police force tried to arrest the suspected port officers, said National Police spokesman Alvin Jask. He said the fighting shut down the port and only abated after U.N. peacekeepers were called in.
The West African nation is home to about 15,000 U.N. peacekeepers stationed there to help the fledgling democracy return ... Read more
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89.7 WUWM - Milwaukee Public R
23 January 2008
This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.
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Milwaukee Police Department, W
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New Unit Cracks Down on Police
Milwaukee County District Attorney, John Chisholm, created the Public Integrity Unit after being elected last year. The unit is made up of four prosecutors whose jobs are to weed out bad police officers and public officials. One prosecutor is dedicated solely to police misconduct. Chisholm says the ultimate goal is to act as a deterrent.
Chisholm: Our goal is not to prosecute bad cops it’s to prevent those from happening in the first place by knowing that there will be a certain consequence for doing it.
Since the unit got its start, it’s reviewed 49 police misconduct cases and charged seven officers with offences. Three have been convicted. The crimes range from obstructing an officer to theft to substantial battery. Chief Deputy DA, Jon Reddin, says he hopes the Public Integrity Unit rids the MPD of the so called “code of silence.” The code is described as an unwritten rule among officers that they do not tell on or testify against each other. Reddin helped bring state charges against the Milwaukee police officers involved of beating Frank Jude. But that criminal case largely collapsed after fellow officers refused to cooperate.
Reddin: I think that the unique nature of police work, and the literature certainly supports this, makes a bond between particularly partners and also fellow partners where they are reluctant, naturally reluctant to inform on each other.
Most officers are not going to stand in the way of an investigation unless they have something to hide, according to John Balcerzak. He’s president of the Milwaukee Police Association.
Balcerzak: The thought process of a code of silence is actually something that’s used by prosecutors when they can’t prove a case.
Balcerzak, says the union supports the DA’s Public Integrity Unit and its investigations into police misconduct. But he says he hopes it does more thorough investigations so officers are not unjustly charged prosecuted. He cites the trial last December of a police officer charged with beating churchgoers. He was later acquitted.
Balcerzak: It’s a huge thing to be accused of something if you’re innocent of it. I believe that thorough investigations and deeper investigations will help to prove officers innocent or guilty, whichever the case may be with more assurances in the future. We got to be careful before we charge people and bring them to trial.
The DA’s office insists that it is careful. District Attorney, John Chisholm, says the low number of charges filed so far prove that most police officers do act appropriately.
Chisholm: We know that the vast majority of law enforcement officials be they police officers, prosecutors, people in the judicial system they’re driven by one thing and one thing only. They want to make their community better and they’re driven by high goals. They hold themselves to high standards.
Chisholm hopes, in the end, those high standards will result in better police community relations.
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