September
2007
Milwaukee County is now Drunk Driver Friendly
Watchdog Milwaukee has learned that Sheriff David Clarke has made some dramatic and inappropriate staffing changes which have put the public at risk.
Do you find yourself having to run into work early to get a few extra things done? Do you have to be on the freeway from 4am until 7am?
If so, your life could be in danger.
In Milwaukee County, a county with nearly a million people, there are only two deputies on the freeways between the hours of 4am and 7am. Two.
What would make Clarke do such a thing? Yes, the bars close by 2:30 so most of the people who are really intoxicated have already driven home by 3:30, but what about the people who went out to grab a bite after the bars closed? They’re getting in their cars for the drive home at the same time that the night shift deputies are punching out.
But Clarke wouldn’t do that right? He’s the Sheriff and he wouldn’t risk the lives of the public, would he? Unfortunately the answer to that question is yes. Now I can understand putting fewer cops on the road on weeknights but light coverage on Friday and Saturday is simply irresponsible. While Clarke would claim that there are really four squads (not two), he would be exaggerating coverage since two squads stay on the county grounds unless they are called on to assist deputies already on the road.
This is a ticking time bomb. It’s not if, but when, someone will get hurt or killed. This is a problem that could be prevented.
You would think that Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) would be all over this issue but so far, there hasn’t been a peep.
Jim McGuigan
Clarke Watch, Jim McGuigan, Watchdogging Public Safety
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Maybe Deputy Insider will volunteer to be an extra patrol between 4am-7am because he’s such a dedicated employee who is truly interested in serving the people’s best interests?
It’s my right to drive drunk whenever I feel like it. This is Milwaukee where everyone can drink and drive. So get used to it losers and get out of my way!
mkelover- bite me you knob. Jim, Capt. Rodney Richards who runs the patrol division came up with this brilliant idea… not Clarke.
Richards have even transferred deputies out of the division that verbally opposed this great schedule.
Deputy,
My info came straight from another deputy. Even if it was Captain Richards who dreamed this idea up, is it not still Clarke who approves of all big changes like this?
Or, are you suggesting that Clarke may not know about this blunder?
Jim, I don’t doubt your info…I to have heard it from patrol deputies not effected by the change. I can’t see why clarke would approve a change this dramatic… I CAN’T confirm he knows of the change. Remember Inspector Carr runs the patrol division….not clarke…. ANY changes to patrol go to CARR directly….
Come on Deputy Insider, have a little sense of humor.
I apologize if I cut too close to the funny/not-funny line.
How are we, as the general public, to know what is the best patrol schedule for the MCSO and the appropriate number of deputies to be used at any given time on our freeways?
How do we know that 2 (or 4) patrols is not enough at that time of night? I certainly don’t want people telling me how to do my job if they’ve never done it before.
Jim, you need to be more careful in interviewing disgruntled deputies whose hatred of Clarke borders on obsession. They will make anything and everything into Clarke’s fault…much like the deranged people who blame everything on President Bush.
mkelover,
You mean like the deranged people who blamed and even still blame everything on Bill Clinton?
The fact of the matter is that nothing happens in Clarke’s department without him knowing about it. With Clarke, it’s either his way or the highway.
And you know this how???? Are you a deputy? Do you work as Clarke’s #2?
As is with almost any boss, it’s their way or you’re gone. I don’t know why that is such a shock to you. Since Clarke is running a quasi-military organization, his authority should be stronger than a typical company/organization.
Typically, bars close at 2 or 3. This makes the 2-4 hours VERY important to stop drunk drivers. For the safety of all operators on the road, drunk drivers must be stopped. With only 2 deputies on the road it’s nearly impossible.
It’s a question of deputy safety, as I see it, I could care less about the tickets etc when my friends are being hit because there aren’t enough squads on the road to protect them when they are out of the cars. Politics, money, personal bias aside, Deputies will continue to get hit, even killed, if the number of squads keeps being reduced. The majority of incidents involving deputies being hit occurs at NIGHT, not during the day. It’s hard enough to put myself in Tim Johnson’s shoes- he, thankfully, made a wonderful recovery… It’s impossible to think of how the family of Dave Demos recovered from his loss.
Think about the size of the county, what the deputies do, the SPEED at which everyone travels, It’s NOT safe even during the day when there are 5 squads working. Whether Clarke knows or not is irrelevant- Lives are at stake. Rodney Richards knows it, he CAN change it… question is will he? I know he won’t.. his ego won’t allow it.
How many more would be needed after 4am? Maybe 2? I understand the 1am-4am could be trouble, but after?
THAT is the million dollar question- How can anyone predict what a night will be like? All the more reason to keep the staffing as it was.
Actually, bars do not close at “2 or 3″. Bars close at 2:00am Sunday-Thursday and 2:30am on Friday and Saturday nights. Last call is usually 1:15-1:30am weekdays and 1:45am on Fri/Sat. Unless people are driving through multiple counties, the peak would be shortly after last call begins since people tend to leave bars when they cannot purchase any more alcohol.
Although I don’t have facts to back it up, I would estimate that a majority of accidents where alcohol is a factor happen BEFORE 4am.
It’s also true and accurate that the LEAST amount of vehicles are on the freeways between 4am-7am which would lend itself to have the fewest amount of deputies on the road thus saving taxpayer dollars while providing adequate safety.
Even if you were to “occupy” the freeways between midnight and 6am, you wouldn’t catch every drunk driver.
Anecdotal evidence would also seem to point to drunk driving accidents occuring on state highways and side streets based on the proximity of oncoming traffic…those roads are NOT patrolled by the MCSO.
If anyone has stats on stuff like that, it would be interesting to see.
Since I don’t drink I really don’t know when bars close- thanks for the info though mkelover.
TAX dollars are not being saved- deputies start earlier, there is nor real reduction in staffing, just a change in start times. So for the SAME money spent- you get 2 deputies from 4-6.
Also, please note, this change in start times is temporary. I have been told this was a summer change-although it comes about towards the fall. I would expect a change back during the winter season…. but i’ve been wrong before right mkelover?
Congrats on not drinking, you’re saving a TON of money.
And yes, you’ve been wrong in the past from time to time.
So basically what you’re saying regarding this argument is that it’s a non-starter.
The argument, I guess, is whether clarke knows about it and allowed the staff shortage for 2 hours.
You guys are getting way too mushy.
It’s a Love Fest! Join in Bill!
So at what time does the staff shortage occur?
Deputy Insider states “TAX dollars are not being saved- deputies start earlier, there is nor[sic] real reduction in staffing, just a change in start times. So for the SAME money spent- you get 2 deputies from 4-6.”
Night time is when the “big” stuff happens….crashes are bigger, and most fatalites occur overnight. The freaks come out at night is an old song, but anyone’s who’s worked third shift knows this is a true statement around here.
It would be interesting to see how much overtime has been spent by having to hold over deputies past 4am for an event that started at 3. Even a basic drunk driving arrest takes over an hour to complete. Could it be this temporary change has actually cost moeny instead of saving it? The most recent example: The fatal accident that happened last Friday night happened at 3am. The deputies who were supposed to leave at 4am weren’t relieved until after 6am, when first shift came in.
Speaking of “temporary”, it will be interesting to see if a particular sergeant sent back(from the Jail) to Patrol(Parks), allegedly just for the summer, will return to the jail to finish his punishment for cheating his way through a management course(the other person caught with him was FIRED by her department). He spent about one month in the jail before he convinved the powers that be that he was FAR too valuable to be wasted in a jail assignment. Never mind the fact that he’s a cheater and embarrassment to the agency. But I digress…..
I’m a retired milw cnty deputy sheriff. My call sign on the CB was” ironfinger”In the 10 years that I was a patrol officer I, along with my other squad partner logged in over 243 drunk drivers. This was the late shift.Alot were first timers,some were second,third even fourth DUI’s. I worked the late shift;12M to 8AM. Between clark and b.richards they have managed to reduce 6sectors(6 patrol officers)down to two,and I wont call’em patrol deputies,what they think they know they aint had time to learn. These deputies have not seen a major accident with fatals. My first accident was in the rock freeway during a major snow storm. I started at the rear vehicle and worked my way up to the first car,only to find a 10yo boy expired and the mother in deep shock.No one else in the whole world to help me. All other sectors were up to their arm pits in accidents. No adjacent agencys to help me. I contacted our dispatch and remained until more deputies could be ordered in to help. What do you think richards and clark would have done?I beleive this occured the winter of 81. Sure thats a long time ago,but look at it this way;clark,richards have taken a force of 95+ patrol deputies and reduced the patrol bureau to less than 44+/-. Milw has been extremly lucky in the past 15+ years that I’ve be retired theres been no major weather related storms like the ones we had in 79,80,81,81,83. The one year , I think it was 83(?)the snow was so deep that my squad was pushing snow with the front “bugger bar” Theres actual stories from deputies that no one would beleive.I have 100 day books to call upon should some citizen tell me I’m full of BS.Challenge?
this is p-3.cause I punched the wrong button……respectfully request you use my nickname of ironfinger….thanks
I know a deputy and this is the new shift that they are working now.
One can argue that maybe a lot might not be going on, but the last two accidents that had happened, happened during these hours. Robbing peter to pay paul, can eventually catch up to you. Trying to have these officers help cover 2nd shift and go into 3rd shift, leaves those two officers at risk since help is less quick to come due to staff shortages.
And to use the argument that it saves tax dollars can be very weak. When an officer gets hurt to the degree that Officer Johnson did, you the taxpayer pay for that. All thoses workers comp claims eventually come out of your tax dollars. Again, maybe we should start reviewing some higher level positions and make some cuts there. Not with deputies on the highways. Only two immediate squads is criminal. And we all know Sheriff Clarke is aware of staffing shortages and how many people are out on the road. Please, the guy is not a moron.
The concentration needs to be on preventative, not what to do after it happens. These deputies risk their lives everyday, this issue can’t be about politics and union lines. If they can’t work together on this the community will not follow suite and will never learn to be appreciative of what they do for this community.
Hey guys, you know that Captain Richards doesn’t like to be called “Rodney”…he prefers “R Bret”…lets not make him angry…:)
R.B.Richards used to request to work the western sectors of the freeway, so he could stop at his house or his mother in laws house to eat suppper with his family, while on duty. Now that he is in charge he tells all that they must provide 8 hours of work for 8 hours of pay, which means more tickets, and more revenue, so the bureau can provide the same amount of money to the department as it did when there were twice as many officers. He also had a veteran officer who arrested 12 DUI’s in one month this summer, counselled for being too one dimensional.