But awesome job on the scrollbars, yo.
Compare and contrast the pictures used on the 'about' page of the Victoria police website:
http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?Document_ID=3
With the images on the same section of the Milwaukee police website:
http://www.milwaukeepolicenews.com/#menu=about-page
What do the two different pictures say about how the police view themselves and their job? Looking at the images how do you think the two police departments relate to the community they serve? What type of potential recruits would be attracted to the Victoria police VS Milwaukee police?
I live in Wisconsin, in a small town of 20,000.
Our police department has an armored car, with a mount for a water cannon. We've got a TAC [1] team. Our cops carry rifles in the trunks of their patrol cars.
Elsewhere you can find comparable sized police departments that have .50 machine guns, armored personel carriers.
So .. yeah. That's not how we see the police.
It's how they are.
[1] A TAC team is not a SWAT team, although the only difference I can see is our TAC team is only a part-time deal for the officers.
Our police department is 8 full-time officers and 3 part-time officers with I believe 2 full-time admin/support staff in the office. We have 5 cruisers, 4 SUVs and at the last borough council meeting the council approved the purchase of a 6th brand new cruiser and a new fleet of AR-15 style rifles for the officers.
Because America.
Well .. because politics, because 9/11, because War On Drugs.
new fleet of AR-15 style rifles
Most police officers are better armed and equipped for patrol than I was when I was on sentry duty at Marine Barracks in the 80s.
Something is amiss here.
Also, in the event that you did, how far away was your nearest armed support? Sixty seconds? Less?
Three times in 2 3/4 years I had a weapon drawn, round in the chamber.
Twice I did not have a target. Once, I did but he obligingly put his hands up when ordered.
how far away was your nearest armed support? Sixty seconds? Less?
Depended on the sentry post, other factors. Sometimes right behind me. Other times minutes away, at best.
If your point is that police are more likely to encounter bad guys than a Marine guarding strategic assets .. maybe.
How does the police department owning a armored personnel carrier help a patrol officer at a traffic stop? How often does your average Mayberry police department encounter bad guys who can only be overcome by a SWAT team?
And how does the USN carrying nuclear weapons help you check passes at the gate?
That aside, yes, my suggestion was that the police are more likely to need the firepower than you were, and were more likely to have to get by on their own for longer before support turned up.
I've had 'most' cops beat by the time I was 21 and I wasn't even trying.
Today, even small towns have trained snipers.
The website is simply branding itself to potential recruits and marketing itself to those who fund it. A picture of an officer talking to an elderly lady isn't going to attract young adults nor support a training budget for automatic weapons marksmanship.
I disagree. It wouldn't attract young adults with fantasies of paramilitary action and an urge to wear uniform and wave guns around. There are many other kinds of young adults who will be attracted by the idea of responsible public service and being a helpful part of the community. Clearly, the decision has been made about which kind of recruit to attract; ironically, exactly the kind of person I'd least like to have authority and weapons.
http://twistedsifter.com/2011/07/picture-of-the-day-cops-in-...
Militarization of the police because we took the most violent route in trying to control the "illegal" drugs.
I wonder if this is related to hiring problems? The glorification could help find new candidates. I hear the MPD is always hiring...
Can you elaborate on this? Wisconsin has never struck me as a state with a particularly conservative streak.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/milwaukee-wisc-is-most-segre...
http://www.salon.com/2011/03/29/most_segregated_cities/slide...
Historically Wisconsin has been a pretty progressive state, similar to its neighbors Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota.
Milwaukee, like most big midwest cities, is highly segregated with some pretty frightening ghettos and areas of poverty, although not as bad as cities whose economies have done worse like Detroit, Cleveland, etc.
Similarly, I grew up in California, which used to be famous for how liberal it was, until the Republicans got their act together and actually used their majority some uh.. 7 years ago? Ish? (I might also be mischaracterizing this; I'm basing this off memory rather than stats.)
Additionally, there have been some bad incidents involving racial prejudices in recent history. A few years ago, there was a small riot between blacks/whites after the state fair. Which was then followed up with a neo nazi march countered by an anti-protest. Tensions still seem a bit high when I talk to my parents.
Uh, that's one way to describe it.
A large group of black teenagers/20-somes started fighting with each other and then just started jumping white people, beating on them, then moving on to the next victim.
A similar scene took place after July 4th fireworks were several white people were beaten and a convenience store trashed.
As you and others have said, the segregation there is really shocking. I grew up during the heyday of personalities like Alderman Michael McGee (Sr; I was out of the state before his son was elected) when there was talk of the black areas seceding from the city entirely: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yGcaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=o...
The MPD has a rather, uhm, spotty record with the minority community. I don't know the state of that these days, but the militaristic motif of this website definitely seems to hark back to the dark days of the Harold Brier years. Given their history I think they should be more careful about the tone they project.
I realize that the city elections are technically non-partisan, but there are clearly no conservatives in positions of power here.
The only cities Milwaukee would be more conservative than (in WI) would be Madison and possibly Racine. All you have to do is look at the results from the recall election to see that Madison and Milwaukee are the 2 centers of liberal votes.
That said, you are absolutely correct, the division is segregation, not conservatism. The overt racism against whites (by blacks) has gotten violent in the last decade. There is a large Hispanic population here too, while it does have Mexican gang problems, that part of the city is far far safer than the black parts. Lots of Hispanic business in Milwaukee are thriving, plenty of white people as customers. You won't see many whites on the north side unless they're cops.
Up state, out of the cities, tends to be more conservative. We just never get on the news.
Hell there was a race riot after the state fair last year. This segregation definitely contributes to negative stereotypes on all sides.
Now that I live in SF I understand what diversity really means. Poop everywhere...
The public urination/defecation problem SF has is connected to its large homeless population, many of whom are mentally disabled. The reason for SF's large homeless population is not only because of its liberal views, but also because of its year-round mild weather. If it were burning hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter (as it is in many parts of the Midwest), living on the streets simply would not be physically possible.
Among US states, Wisconsin has a reputation for "good government" and efforts to eliminate cronyism and institutionalized corruption. The state is known for a history of Progressive politics from an era when Liberalism and Socialism were admired by many. At the same time, Milwaukee has long been one of the most racially divided cities in the US, more segregated than many cities in the South. The state has long been politically and culturally divided. Its divisions, fear and violence, reaction and repression are as much part of the state's history as is its reputation for liberalism, though not as well known.
What does this have to do with a website that promotes the Milwaukee Police Department? Maybe not much at all.
It's fair to criticize where criticism is due, but aren't you going a little overboard? Seems like they did a pretty nice job on the visuals here in my opinion.
"Overboard" is a municipal website that has potent imagery of fully armored police officers pointing semi-automatic weapons at ten mugshots of wretched looking "Most Wanted" minorities. This force-glorifying, hostile, divisive, and stakes-raising imagery is being used to portray and shape the role of police in America. It's not acceptable.
Edit: Also it's worth noting that as of several weeks ago this was a much more elaborate site. It's been significantly toned down since.