Shots fired down 35%, Robberies down 19%, Burglaries down 5.5%, Use of Force up 21%, African Americans 47% of arrests, 180 pages of policy changes, cops have adequate PPE and testing and more.Here’s the full report to the City Council from Acting Chief Vic Wahl, if you want to read it. I am having a little bit of fun with the numbers and highlighting the things I want to highlight because that is the way the police do it. It would be soooooo much better if we could see 5 or 10 years of data to compare where things are at. Otherwise, you can choose which numbers to compare and get good or bad results depending upon what you want to do. Having numbers in context would improve the public’s knowledge of what is really going on.
The Public Safety Review Committee hasn’t been getting this report, only the council does.
Shots fired are down 35% from 2018, down 32% from 2017
Okay, as I said, I’m having fun with numbers. But, technically, what I’m saying is true. It’s the way things often get reported or promoted.
Police are saying shots fired are up 29.2% from 2019.
But it’s also down 32% from 2017
Robberies are down 19%
Burglaries are down 5.54% from last quarter
African American’s still 47% of the arrests
Use of Force Increasing – Up 21%
Ok – this one isn’t really fun with numbers. It’s just the numbers. Tho to be fair, we should also get the numbers from previous years. They aren’t provided in the reports.
These numbers are disturbing – pepper spray was used on 25 times in 2019, but 12 in the first quarter? It’s the highest use of “impact munitions” (bean bags) of the past 5 quarters (again would be useful to see this in context of previous years). Central district continues to have the highest use of force incidents.
Here’s the 2019 numbers
MPD HAS ADEQUATE PPE AND TESTING FOR OFFICERS
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a significant impact on MPD. As the COVID-19 situation was developing, MPD created an internal task force to focus exclusively on COVID-19 issues. The work group has done a tremendous amount of work in response to the COVID-19 challenge, ensuring that MPD continues to deliver core services to the community. A few updates on MPD’s response:
- MPD personnel have been issued personal protective equipment (PPE) to allow for the delivery of core services. While the current supply is adequate, long-term re-supply is a concern.
- Most of MPD’s civilian support employees are working from home.
- MPD facilities are closed to the public. Alternate processes for accessing services have been established and are noted on MPD’s website.
- MPD has altered some call response protocols, to reduce opportunities for officer exposure.
- A process has been established to evaluate officers who have been exposed to symptomatic individuals. A number of officers have gone through isolation/quarantine as a result.
- Guidelines have been established for response to possible violations of the Governor’s “Safer at Home” order.
- A mechanism/process has been established to provide COVID-19 testing for MPD personnel.
MPD patrol remains full staffed and responding to calls for service. However, some long-term projects/processes have been delayed as a result of the COVID-10 pandemic.
“THE MENTALLY ILL” – Emergency Detentions down 20%
Person first language please. People with mental wellness challenges? People struggling with mental health?
During the first quarter MPD personnel spent more than 4,000 hours of work on cases/incidents involving the mentally ill. This is an average of about 44 hours per day. The bulk of this workload was handled by patrol officers.
This work includes twenty-eight (28) emergency detentions. It took an average of about twenty-two (22) officer hours for each of these cases. MPD personnel also handled an additional fourteen (14) mental health commitment returns; these also averaged about nineteen (19) officer hours each.
Last quarter there were 35 mental health detentions. It would be good to have a chart that compares quarters and years.
SOP Updates
Sure would be great if that auditor and oversight committee were in place to review all these new polices. There’s over 180 pages attached to the report, it would be nice to get a better summary of what the top changes were.
A number of MPD SOPs were updated during the quarter. Copies showing the changes are attached to this memo as an appendix. Note that all MPD SOPs are reviewed regularly, with the most critical SOPs being reviewed annually. This process typically results in additional SOP changes/updates.
MPD has also started posting drafts of new/revised SOPs on our website before final implementation, to allow for public review and comment.
Updated/New SOPs for MPD: January-March, 2020
- Arrest, Incarceration and Bail – Adults: 01/15/2020
- Arson Investigations: 01/03/2020
- Back-Up: 01/15/2020
- Bomb Threats: 01/16/2020
- Canine Use: 01/15/2020
- CFS Dispatch Guidelines: 03/23/2020
- Changes to Code of Conduct and Standard Operating Procedures: 01/03/2020
- Deadly Force – Use of: 01/15/2020
- De-Escalation: 01/15/2020
- Detox, JRC, Jail, Probation and Parole Responses and Conveyances: 01/15/2020
- Domestic Abuse: 02/28/2020
- Handling of Informants: 02/17/2020
- Hours Worked: 01/15/2020
- Identification of MPD Employees: 03/09/2020
- Identification Procedures: 01/03/2020
- Incident Review Process: 03/16/2020
- Intoxicated and Incapacitated Persons: 01/15/2020
- Investigation of Crimes Involving Officers as Victims of Serious Crimes: 01/03/2020
- Investigations of Incidents Involving Shots Fired: 01/15/2020
- Labor Disputes and Picketing: 01/21/2020
- LE Officer Safety – LEOSA – for Former Madison Police Officers: 01/06/2020
- Line of Duty Death of an Employee: 01/28/2020
- Lost and Abandoned Property: 03/09/2020
- Mendota Mental Health Institute Response: 01/15/2020
- Mental Health Incidents and Crises: 01/27/2020
- Military Leave: 01/27/2020
- Missing Child: 02/03/2020
- Mounted Patrol Use: 01/15/2020
- Non-Deadly Force – Use of: 01/27/2020
- Overtime Guidelines: 01/27/2020
- Patrol Leave Requests: 01/15/2020
- Patrol Staffing Hold Guidelines, Special Events and Special Assignment Scheduling: 01/15/2020
- Personal Appearance: 01/27/2020
- Personnel File Contents and the Process for Accessing These Records: 01/15/2020
- Police Motorcycles: 01/15/2020
- Pre-Employment Candidate Files: 01/15/2020
- Preserve the Peace: 02/28/2020
- PSIA Discipline Matrix: 01/03/2020 & 01/09/2020
- PSIA Electronic Complaint File Management System: 01/03/2020
- Recording Suspect Interviews: 01/03/2020
- Robberies in Progress and Silent Robbery Alarms: 01/03/2020
- Searches: 01/03/2020
- SWAT Body Worn Cameras: 02/24/2020
- Traffic Parking Enforcement Crash Investigation: 02/06/2020
- Use of Force Data Collection: 01/15/2020
- WI Prescription Drug Monitoring: 01/21/2020
- Workplace Telestaff Requirements: 01/15/2020
